


Her Becoming

by Elywyngirlie



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Creepy Men in golf carts, Cross country trip, Dark Kylo, Dark!Rey, Drugs and drug use, Explicit Language, F/M, FBI, First Order is a criminal gang, Gen, Hannibal Lecter - Freeform, Hannibal TV Show inspired, I know nothing about handguns, Inappropriate Flirting, Murder Mystery, No cannibalism though, On the Run, Police story typical violence, Red Dragon AU, Serial Killers, Sex Trafficking, Sexual Content, Silence of the Lambs inspired, Slow Burn, Undercover Work, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Violence, race against the clock, until it is resolved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 08:53:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 88,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11145075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elywyngirlie/pseuds/Elywyngirlie
Summary: Rey Kenobi, an FBI trainee, uncovers one of the greatest secrets in the FBI. Poe Dameron, her boss, sends her to interview Kylo Ren, a brilliant criminologist who is also a violent psychopath, locked in the bowels of the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Kenobi is just the ticket for solving one of the greatest mysteries plaguing the FBI and the criminal underworld and Kylo Ren cannot help but take the bait as the delicious young woman visits him again and again.Or a better one: Rey Kenobi is an FBI trainee in thrall with her trainer, Special Agent in Charge Ben Solo as they chase down the First Order, a major crime syndicate until she uncovers the horrifying truth: He is Kylo Ren, a leader in the FO, and a murderer for hire. He sends her on a dark journey unraveling truths about him, the FBI, and everything she holds dear–including how she sees herself.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Silence of the Lambs AU no one asked for. 
> 
> Many and many thanks to Sansacat for being a wonderful beta and for listening to my rambles as I put this together. Any mistakes in here are mine.  
> And many thanks to Thomas Harris for creating a world in which I sank and for giving me many nightmares. I do not want a Red Dragon visiting my house. 
> 
> I do take quotes from the movies and the books. I will set those aside with italics.

Rey Kenobi took a deep breath and smoothed the lapels of her jacket. The grey was a bland and balanced color, she thought, as opposed to the mournful black and stark white hanging in her closet. She gave her reflection one more critical glance in the mirror before gathering her bag and heading out of her room.

Rey slipped into the bustle of the students all heading down the hallway toward their classes, voices ringing in the stairwell mixed with the slapping of hard shoes on the concrete competing with the slamming doors. Rey hurried after them, clutching her purse to her side.

“Hey, Kenobi, I’d thought you’d have got an office and badge by now,” one of her classmates commented as they ran down the stairs, Rey’s heels a loud clacking on the metal edges of the stairs.

“I thought she’d be out on the streets,” another jeered. The group burst through the doors into the spring morning, grey clouds low in the sky. Rey wished she had worn something a bit heavier to combat the slight and frigid breeze.

“Catching him, I mean, she’s sure due for a commission,” Jessika Pava cut in, moving to walk next to Rey. She leaned in to whisper, “They’re just jealous.” Rey offered a thin lip smiled to the phrase, often spoken to her in the past week.

“Thanks,” she whispered, squeezing Jess’s hand before she peeled off from the group and hustled toward the parking lot, slowing as she saw her commander leaning against her grey car. She felt a flush of embarrassment at the old thing all peeling paint and rust spots with an engine that protested loudly every time she started it. She had been working on it during her spare time but that had seemed so long ago, before everything happened.

“Sir,” she greeted cautiously. Dameron nodded once, scanning her quickly.

“Good choice,” was all he grunted. He held out a leather wallet to her. Taking it, she flipped it open to see a little paper card tucked inside. Trainee Special Agent Rey Kenobi.

With an expiration date of a week.

“You’re all cleared at the site,” Dameron was saying. Rey swallowed hard and looked up to see Dameron watching her. “You can say no, Kenobi.”

“If I do, we’ll never find out will we?,” she asked shakily. She gestured for him to move aside so she could get inside the car.

“Be careful. Don’t let him get inside your head,” Dameron cautioned. Rey nodded again and pulled the door hard, a satisfying slam indicating it had shut correctly. She prayed silently to the gods of mechanical things and turned the key, pleased when the engine purred to life.

“You’re going to need a new car when you graduate, kid.” He slapped the roof and walked back to the academy, his hands in his pockets. Rey bit her lip, wondered if this was the right thing to do, before shifting into gear and peeling out of the parking lot.

The Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane was a squat red building, all lessons in new brutalism with sharp corners and slitted windows. Rey was hurried inside to the waiting room where her credentials were checked quickly and she was whisked down to the lowest levels. She reminded herself to keep her chin up and shoulders back.

No need to give him anything to critique.

“I’ve got a chair waiting for you at the end,” the orderly was saying. “Do not reach through the bars, do not touch the bars. Do not give him anything. No stapled papers, no paper clips, no pens, no pencils. Do not accept anything he attempts to give you. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.”

The orderly turned and gave her a brief smile. “No need to sir me down here. It’s just us ordinary folk.”

“Is he really that dangerous?,” Rey asked curiously. She tried to match the orderly’s cautious words with the man she remembered.

“The fourth night he was here, he complained of chest pains. We took him into the infirmary, as usual procedure, but did not think to strap him down as he has been a model prisoner. He knocked out a nurse, broke an orderly’s arm, and snapped the guard’s neck. Snapped a neck with his bare hands,” the orderly was saying softly, his eyes steady on hers. She nodded, her throat dry, not bothering to correct his mistake. “He shows no remorse, not a one. Whatever he is, it ought to at least keep us busy with visits from doctors and psychiatrists for weeks to come. Not to mention those psychology students.”

“Hey now, I was a psych student,” Rey joked slightly and the orderly twisted his lips into a smile.

“Probably saw the errors of your ways in the FBI,” was all he said as he hit the button. Rey heard a loud buzzer and the thick metal door unlocked. “Stick to the walls, sit in the chair, and remember I’m watching you.” He pointed to the monitors along the wall and she nodded her thanks. She couldn’t tell if he was threatening her or assuring her and cursed herself.

Observing was supposed to be something she was at which she excelled.

After all, that’s how she caught him.

The basement at the BSHCI was dim and slightly dank, the lights barely beating away the darkness coming from the cells. She heard the men grunting and calling at her as she walked by them but she could barely make them out, all shadows melting into shadows. She was too aware of the blood rushing in her ears, her heart hammering so hard that her pulse was a painful point in her neck. She forced herself to exhale as she stopped in front of the cell at the very end.

He was waiting for her.

“Good morning, Rey,” he smiled and cocked his head, much like a bird, to take in her appearance. He was clad in a simple grey one piece, his wrists sticking out underneath the sleeves, the pants above his ankles. As if they didn’t have a suit to fit his long frame. Or perhaps a punishment, Rey thought, as he flexed his arms, the shoulders pinning him in.  

They watched each other silently for a moment, Kylo sniffing the air. He took one step forward and Rey shifted her handbag on her shoulder. Kylo huffed.

Finally, with his cultured voice at odds with his bare cell, he spoke: “Please, take a seat.” Rey held herself upright a moment longer, ordering her knees not to listen to him, as she always had in the past, her actions an immediate response to any request. He smirked slightly as if he understood why she did not obey immediately.

She observed him through the glass wall, holes cut along the top and at waist level. Something other than traditional bars were needed to hold him.

“I don’t know what to call you,” Rey said eventually. She reflected on his birth name and prior titles, but none of them seemed to suit him any longer.

“Kylo Ren,” he replied, moving closer to the glass. His hard hot eyes bored into her and Rey refused to flinch.

“So you’ve assumed that identity completely,” she parlayed. “Part of your insanity plea?” Kylo said nothing and Rey exhaled through her nose. “I suppose as the son of a senator, you wouldn’t have that much to worry about.”

“Jealous, Kenobi?,” Kylo shot back. “Thrift store Kenobi with her fancy little hand me down bags but her trash box Toyota and cheap little shoes. Tell me, did you buy that jacket just for today? Which one? Goodwill thrift or fancy fox for a label?” He ran his eyes critically over her. “No that’s definitely a Target special.”

“Thrift store insults? That’s all you got?,” Rey huffed. Kylo faltered for a moment before he glowered at her. “I’m here to talk about Ben Solo.”

“The man you remember never existed. Just a figment of your imagination. Tell me, Rey,” he countered, “when they ask you to testify, will you talk about what happened in that hotel room? Which version will you give?”

“The truth,” Rey answered honestly and Kylo tsked.

“I thought I trained you better than that. The truth as you see it, Kenobi, won’t hold up against the facts.” He grinned, his eyes a cruel light, and Rey’s hands curled into fists, anger rising within her.

“I’m not entirely sure what hand you had in my training,” she shot back and Kylo chuckled.“What do you want from me? Why won’t you talk to the other investigators?”

“Because the other investigators don’t have what I want,” he snarled. “I want to know how a damn trainee found out what I was after all these years. A trainee.” He spat the last word. Rey stared back at him, warily, anger flushing his face scarlet, his lips a sneer. And remembered Special Agent in Charge Ben Solo, his gentle smile, his commanding voice, as he lead the hunt for the First Order.

How they had all been misled.

Especially her.

“Why don’t you tell me how you think I caught you?,” she asked. Kylo snickered at the comment and flounced down onto his bed, crossing his arms.

“Don’t try the tactics I taught you on me, they won’t work. I want to know how you found me out. Did I leave some sort of evidence somewhere? A window open on my computer?”

“If that were true, they would have mentioned it in the prior interrogations,” Rey said quietly. Kylo nodded his head, almost a concession before looking at her under hooded eyes.

“How did you see it?”

“How could I not?”

“My own parents couldn’t.”

“Oh, I’m not sure about that.” Kylo sat up and leaned on his knees.

Finally he spoke, his voice taking on that coaxing cadence she remembered from him at the Academy. “You mean Han don’t you? He saw something.”  Rey did not reply, shifting her legs underneath her and glancing discreetly at her watch.

“My time will be up soon,” she commented, surprised at the reluctance in her voice. She leaned forward, mirroring his body language, searching for his eyes to hold him with her gaze. She softened her voice as she said his name. “Ben…”

Kylo leapt and pounded on the glass. “That name is dead to me.”  Rey jumped off the chair and it toppled over with a loud clang as she skittered back. She stared at him through the glass, his palms flat against the glass and she saw the murderer the orderly warned her about. Impossibly tall and menacing, his face closed to her, eyes flat black. Like a snake, she shivered, recalling the way a snake watched her impassively behind the glass at a zoo. Coiled, his energy wrapped around him, waiting for her move.

“I want to know how you found out about me.”

Rey smoothed down her slacks. “It’ll come out in trial,” was her reply. She saw the orderly through the small window at the door at the end of the hall, his face lined with worry.

“Rey, I know what you want,” was Kylo’s counter offer. She looked swiftly back at him. Coiled. Waiting. Playing dead until she got closer.

She remained where she was, observing. A flicker of pleasure ghosted across his face.

“You want to re-discover your Ben Solo? Try looking for the pentathlon giant.” Rey started at this, anticipation gripping at the base of her spine. Kylo dipped his head, fastening her with his hard gaze. His eyes seemed to suck her in, all the light, and she remembered too much how he had once looked at her this same way.

“Is that a person? A race? Which name will he know?”

A buzzer rang loudly in the hallway and Kylo backed away, slipping back into the shadows in the corners of his room.

“The pentathlon giant, Rey, that’s all you need to know,” he said raggedly. And she hurried down the hallway to the beckoning orderly, past the hoarse shouts of the other men, the rabid cries, and the hurled insults.

Outside, Rey forced her trembling limbs to carry her to her rusted Toyota. She leaned against it, shivering, as the brisk breeze kicked against the gap between her pants and her heels, her skin tightening at the crisp touch. Leaves skittered across the asphalt and thunder munched overhead, the humidity pressing against her with wolfish breath. And as she laid her forehead on the cool metal, breathing in the bloodied smell of rust, she let the memories battering at her all morning swallow her up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Acronyms to be aware of though I'm trying to spell them out.  
> ViCap: Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. A database of violent and sexual criminal offenders.  
> SAIC: Special Agent In Charge (in the FBI)  
> Justice: The name of the Branch of which the FBI is just one bureau  
> OPR: Office of Professional Responsibility. They monitor the conduct of agents and provide a code of ethics. 
> 
> This chapter is really short but since I'm 3/4 done with this entire story, no worries! It's just that it would have been too long a chapter to do what I wanted to do with it. Chapter 3 will come soon. I really took from Thomas Harris his sense of criminal procedure. 
> 
> A thank you for all of your awesome comments and kudos! Mwah! And a special thanks to Sansacat for beta'ing. Any errors are mine.

Poe Dameron had been thrust into Ben Solo’s old office with all the ceremony of a man receiving a death sentence. He sat in the corner office, a dark corner in institutional grey, papers scattered everywhere, a hapless marriage between his paperwork and what had been left of Ben’s. Rey scanned the room, her gaze lingering over the conference table in the corner, where the agents had often spent late nights going over evidence line by line, searching for any scent of Kylo Ren. 

Their names were still on the whiteboard, some sort of macabre reminder. Kylo Ren, General Hux, Captain Phasma, code names for the leaders of the First Order. The vague sketches of them remained except for Kylo Ren’s. A photograph of Ben had been taped there haphazardly. Rey wasn’t sure how to read that in this cramped dim space that still smelled of Ben’s aftershave, sandalwood and leather. 

Poe was slumped in the chair, the desk lamp a pool of light in the otherwise dim space. There were two chairs in front of his desk, both filled with piles of paper. Rey picked up a stack of papers and moved it over to take a seat. 

“You keep doing this, no one’s going to think that you want visitors,” she commented lightly. Her voice was steady now and with the clear keen expression on her face, no one would know how she had sobbed only hours earlier. 

“All of the meetings are upstairs in the new rooms,” Poe responded gruffly, flipping a file closed and tossing it on the desk. “Besides, I don’t think they are quite done tossing this room.”

“I wonder why they moved you in then,” Rey mused. Poe shrugged in his usual artless way. 

“They need someone to head up this little gang here. They’re not going to drop the task force to investigate the First Order. More so now, with the fact that our Special Agent in Charge  was the so called Knight of it,” Poe said in rough voice. He had been on the phones and in meetings all day and he took a sip of cold coffee, making a face. 

The First Order, a transnational major crime syndicate, had required the creation of task forces in the FBI and the CIA as well as several police forces.  Not much had been gleaned about the First Order, despite several years of attempting to infiltrate it. Only Special Agent Finn Prince had successfully managed to get involved as an undercover agent in a West Coast affiliate and managed to shut down a small part of their human trafficking ring. They were able to discover that the FO had their fingers in every pie and had organized themselves in strict hierarchy that belonged more in a medieval estate than in modern America. With knights, and generals, and tithes and a supposedly infallible supreme leader who remained hidden in the shadows. 

“Well, I guess having you here helps with PR,” Rey remarked and Poe smirked. 

“You certainly understand that angle better than most trainees, Kenobi.”

“I read a lot, sir.”

“And yet not enough to realize that life in the FBI isn’t like those books you read, fairy tales compared to what we do here,” Poe said. He shot up in his seat, leaning forward, his forearms planted on his desk. “You sure you still want to stay here Kenobi? Graduation is in a few weeks. We can put the word in, move you out to the West Coast, some small place, where the Senator might forget you exist. As far as Justice is concerned, you’ve got a target on your back. Someone already sent a complaint to the Office of Professional Responsibility. Now my letter and Finn and the Director’s have been sent in, but it doesn’t look good.” The Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, monitored the conduct of all the agents and a compliant would have to be fully examined. 

Rey swallowed hard. She had figured in her darkest moments that her career in the FBI would be over once she arrested the son of a senator who also headed the Justice committee. But she thought maybe, just maybe, the public outcry would protect her. She voiced the thoughts to Poe who slowly shook his head.

“If you had taken down the general or the captain, sure, maybe. But Kylo Ren was an obscure, off shoot, most people didn’t know of him because we kept his murders off the radar, just mixed in as another day, another shooting. Most people and the press were not aware of how horrific a state his victims were left in.”

“I imagine I still have some time,” Rey persisted. Poe smiled thinly.

“Right now the public is upset, yes, that the special agent in charge of investigating the First Order was in fact a leader in the First Order. So we’ll work hard to look good. But once their attention turns elsewhere, to some other celebrity scandal, you’ll be gone.”  

“I thought you said Senator Organa was one of the most noble and most dedicated there is,” Rey tried not to stammer. She didn’t want to go back to slogging away as an assistant district attorney in New York. She thought of the cold rooms, grey hallways, and the lingering antiseptic smell in her old apartment. She wondered how far the infamy would chase her. 

And how the infamy would change, for the worse most likely, when her testimony was released, if it ever was. Of her and Ben and just what they were doing the night of the stakeout. 

“It’s not her. It’s some of her pals. They’ll do it out of a sense of outrage for her. She would never condone it,” Poe sighed. “Perhaps if you meet her, publicly, some of that favor would be seen. Who knows.” He sighed again, gustily, and rolled his shoulders. “This is why I liked being an investigator, Rey. Leave all the politics to the schmucks like Ben who get it.” Poe frowned over the name and Rey twitched in her seat. The ghost of Ben chuckling in the room, throwing an empty wrapper at his garbage can, the rest of the agents egging him on to try for the further can,  assaulted her in that moment and she couldn’t breathe. 

Poe also seemed lost, gazing sadly at the conference table.

“I don’t know how we didn’t see this.” He shifted his gaze to her. “I need the report on your visit by 0900 tomorrow.” Recognizing a dismissal when she heard it, Rey rose jerkily to her feet and headed out of the room. She paused, resting her hand on the doorway. 

“Agent Dameron, have you ever heard of a pentathlon giant before?”

“Huh,” Poe grunted. “Like a prize? Or a person?”

“I don’t know,” Rey confessed. “But Ben--Kylo--he said that if we wanted to really find out what happened to Ben Solo, we needed to look for a pentathlon giant.” Poe frowned, studying Rey while flipping a pencil between his fingers. In the half-light, the shadows under his eyes were darker and the scruff more visible on his chin. 

“Your pass is good for the week. Use it. I’ll clear whatever time you need with Solo,” Poe finally said with a weary sigh. “But don’t miss your classes. You’re in the top quarter, Rey, from what I’ve seen. Don’t fuck it up now.” The harshness of the words in Poe’s usual genteel demeanor startled Rey but she nodded her thanks anyways and, ducking her head, hurried out of the room, trying to hide her glee. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can be found on Tumblr at [HausCrashBurn](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hauscrashburn).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey tracks down Kylo's "pentathlon giant."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Chapter 3 to make up for a short chapter 2. 
> 
> Acronyms here including the BAU, Behaviorial Analysis Unit. They are an advisory unit within the FBI, or at least, that's what Wikipedia tells me. 
> 
> In italics is the famed "first principles, Clarice" quote, taken ashamedly from Silence of the Lambs movie. And Krendler is a reference to Paul Krendler from the book Hannibal (who emerged as Kade Prurnell in the TV show but Krendler is such a dick in the book that he needs to be punished in all iterations). 
> 
> This chapter was subject to significant revisions and thus was not beta'd. Any errors are my own.

Although graduation was a few weeks away, it didn’t mean that the work at the Academy relented. In fact, it seemed as if spurred on by the waning of time, that the instructors were more ruthless, pushing them harder and faster. Rey ran more miles, climbed more walls, and read more lines of criminal code than she had seemed to up to that point. She wearily collapsed into bed each night, eyes shut before her head hit the pillow. She had only snatches of time to search for a pentathlon giant.

She first went into the Violence Criminal Apprehension Program, or ViCap. She searched around for anyone with connections to pentathlons. She downloaded all the cases that they suspected were related to Kylo Ren. And she scanned for connections where none seemed to be.

ViCap  was going to be a dead end.

Rey poured through the notes that she could access on older cases that Ben oversaw. Old newspaper articles blurred together in her mind as she rapidly flipped through them, followed by heavily edited case notes. Everything he had done was under scrutiny and Poe, understanding that, had left her a username and password for a higher level of security in her mailbox. It wasn’t enough to give her more details, but it was adequate enough to remove some blocks to her understanding.

But still, no results.

By the fourth day, Rey despaired at finding anything at all. She stared at the little badge   
Poe had given her, exhaustion sitting behind her eyes, as she thought about Ben Solo and Kylo Ren. For the first time in weeks, self-doubt began to creep around the edges. Rey was in the top of her class and had worked hard to arrive there. But almost felt as if Ben were taunting her with this riddle and pity began to gnaw at her. She grit her teeth determinedly and stared at the database, willing it to give her the answer. She knew she was fit to be in these halls.

Rey had been ordered to shadow Agents Poe Dameron and Finn Price as a sort of co-op in order to graduate. She was one of the few in the Academy who didn’t come from a military or police background. Instead, she had double majored in criminal justice and psychology at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the top program in the country, and then had worked in the ADA’s office in Manhattan. Her adviser had told Poe that she needed to shadow the agents in order to determine if a field job was best for her skill set. Rey’s heart had seized at her advisor’s words but Finn had kindly explained that the adviser was probably thinking about dumping her in a BAU department, and that he wasn’t suggesting that she was unfit for service.  

Finn and Poe gladly took her under their wings with Finn treating her as if she were his little sister. She was eager to learn and took copious notes, picking up a bantering tone with Dameron. Rey followed them around on home visits and into the libraries where they spent a lot of time reading, writing, and researching. Poe, in his charming way, often dumped his report writing on her. One day she spent all morning in court with them and then they took her out to lunch before racing off to join a crime scene in Baltimore. It had been exhilarating and she had been privately thrilled that they were part of the First Order task force. It meant she was part of it and she took pleasure in evading her classmates’ questions about the FO as they desperately wanted to know about the largest crime syndicate in the country.

And there she was in the middle of it, receiving praise and commendations from the agents involved. It confirmed her gut feeling that she belonged in the FBI. Especially when Special Agent in Charge, Ben Solo, began to notice her.

Ben had blinked once when she had walked in behind Poe and Finn, uncertainty in every step the first time they told her to attend a meeting. She wanted to shrink from his scrutiny but forced herself to stand up straight as the rest of the men surveyed her while Poe explained the situation. Ben just nodded curtly, shoving a chair at her, and ordering her to sit. He then returned to the briefing, his eyes occasionally flicking over to assess her.

“He’s a CUNY kid too, that’s all,” Finn had assured her when she told him that she felt uncomfortable with Ben’s constant looks.

“Probably hasn’t seen a real girl as pretty as our Rey either,” Poe added affably, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Too much time around the plastics when he’s schmoozing in DC.” Rey accepted the explanations and ribbing good-naturedly. To her surprise, she found herself looking forward to the late nights or early mornings in Ben’s office. He began to message her about case work, expressing a confidence in her abilities. Ben was brash, but at times careful, incisive and instructive, often pausing to explain things to Rey when he caught a confused expression on her face.

“Whenever you’re not sure of what you have, always go back and review the basics,” Ben had said one night as they all sat around the conference table. The other agents groaned and slapped their pens on the table while Rey eyed him curiously. Seizing the moment, Ben turned toward her, one hand skimming across her back as he lectured the group. Rey stiffened, all too aware of the heat of his hand, and unsure of what to do.

 _“First principles. Of each particular thing ask what is it in itself? What is it’s nature? What does it do?”_ He stood behind her as he spoke, hands resting on her shoulders. He looked down at her. “Rey, tell me what this means.”

Rey licked her lips, eyes roving over the tired bleary faces of the other agents. It felt like a test. Poe smiled at her encouragingly.

“We need to look at what Kylo is accomplishing with these murders,” she said hoarsely.

“Exactly!,” Ben shouted, leaving her to grab Finn and shake him awake. “Don’t leave me now traitor!” The group had dissolved into weary laughter and Ben dismissed them for the evening. As Rey gathered her materials before walking out, Ben stopped her, a light touch on her elbow.

“Great job, Kenobi,” he murmured, his dark eyes flashing. She nodded once, waiting for more, before she mumbled her thanks and trailed a sleepy Finn out of the room.

Rey bit her pen cap as the memories woke painful feelings that she did not want to examine. She stretched out from her cramped position on her bed and stood, lifting her arms overhead, thinking about the sessions in Ben’s office. Jess snored slightly and rolled over in her bed on the opposite side of the room.

“Whenever you’re not sure of what you have, always go back to the basics,” Rey reminded herself quietly and flipped open a fresh page in her moleskin notebook. She still preferred writing, scribbling her thoughts down on page, rather than typing or speaking into a memo app, often incurring jeers by her tech savvy classmates with their ipads and Microsoft touches. But Rey knew she was a romantic at heart, spending hours debating which leather bound journal to buy. She loved the feel of the pen gliding across the surface of the page, the little arrows she drew between scribbled lines, the ways in which the blank pages allowed her to think.

What did she know about Ben Solo? He was tall, six foot three, had a criminal history degree from CUNY John Jay like her and a masters in psychology from Harvard: all in all, a first rate education as the son of a senator. His father had been a member of the FBI before he retired to the life of a private investigator.

Rey pushed back the lump in her throat when she thought about Han. She closed her eyes and reached for her phone, dialing the hospital number by rote. She knew it was late but maybe the midnight nurse would be more accommodating.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Kenobi, but as we told you, only family members are being updated on his condition,” the nurse said apologetically. Rey blinked back the tears stinging her eyes.

“I am his partner,” she got out and the nurse sighed through the phone.

“You know it’s restricted,” she explained patiently. Rey nodded, aware the nurse couldn’t see and hung up. She remembered Han’s pale hand hanging off the stretcher as they loaded him into the ambulance with his blood sticking to the side of her face and neck. Finn had let her know that Han was hooked up on life support but Kylo had been vicious in his cuts and that they weren’t necessarily hopefully. Even if Han woke up, he might not be able to walk again.

She put down her phone and returned her attention to her notes. She could list a dozen adjectives about Ben but did she really know him? She turned to her computer and booted it up, opening up Facebook immediately. She spent the rest of the hour looking at several Ben Solo pages and following various profiles through LinkedIn and Twitter.

After an hour or so of seeing yet another picture of  Ben smiling with his arm slung around his mother at Martha’s Vineyard, her eyes began to burn. Rey pushed up her glasses and rubbed her eyes. As she pulled the glasses back down to scroll to the next page, she paused. A throwback photo showed Ben as a knobby kneed teenager in a track uniform, a medal hanging around his neck.

She began to flip through his history. He listed track and field has an extracurricular. A brief hunt turned up the fact that he still held the record for the  men’s timed 300 meter sprint at the Academy. Rey’s lips flicked up briefly as she saw that he lost the mile and a half spot to Finn.

But there was still no pentathlon. After a fruitless search, she turned up no record of him participating in a marathon either.

Another dead end.

She scrawled the words pentathlon giant one more time in her notebook and unlined it with two hard strokes. Words began to blur before her tired eyes and she laid her head down on her book, the clock reading 2:16am.

Rey jerked up as the clock screamed at her. She heard Jess screech and Rey blinked several times, scrubbing her face. The clock read 6:30am. Rey groaned and looked at her mess of a desk. Her roommate sat up and looked across at Rey, her face creased with pillow lines.

“Did you sleep in your chair?,” Jess grunted.

“Unfortunately,” Rey replied glumly. Jess sighed and swung her feet out of bed. The tiny dorm room housed both students, each with a twin sized bed and a small desk. There was a shared bathroom just of the side, the door closed this morning. Jess shuffled to the dresser between them where her coffee pot stood. She spooned in the coffee and a moment later, the warm earthy smell filled the room as the coffeepot gurgled. Jess groaned as she pulled out her clothes.

“Uniform day?,” Rey hazarded, grimacing at the khakis and blue polo emblazoned with the FBI logo. Jess’s shirt had a large number 3 on the back as the trainees were rarely referred to by name during the training process.  Jess poured the coffee into 2 mugs, adding instant creamer and sugar. Rey’s liked her light and Jess liked hers super sweet.

“Tonight’s pasta night,” Jess grimly reminded her as she handed Rey a mug with a surly cat on it. Rey saluted her and took a sip, making a face.

“Not sure what’s worse, the pasta or this coffee,” Rey commented before sighing. Jess plopped down on her bed.

“Next time you buy the beans,” she shot back. She nodded at the ple of papers on Rey’s desk. “What kept you up all night?” Rey propped her chin on her tucked up knees and wondered if she could tell Jess. But no one had told her not to, especially not another trainee, she reasoned, before explaining the problem to her roommate. Jess listened quietly but attentively as she gathered together her supplies for the day.

“You’re being too narrow,” Jess said quietly. “You know a lot about Ben but don’t forget, you need to build his profile, including associates. Who did he live with? He ran track--okay with whom? You searched Facebook for track mentions but who gives him his most likes? Does he have other social media profiles that you don’t know about? And can someone be posting about him?”

“You think he’s talking about someone else,” Rey inferred and Jess shrugged.

“Look I don’t know SA Solo like you did. I only met him once when he came to do a case exercise review. He--”

“What did he review?,” Rey interrupted. Jess shot her a quizzical look. “What case did he review?”

“Oh he was talking about cold cases, especially politically motivated murder ones. We started with Judge Krendler, do you remember him?” Jess continued to prattle as Rey’s blood ran cold, nails digging into the wood of her chair. He wouldn’t have dared...oh yes he would have. She swore and swiveled in her chair, banging on her laptop keyboard to wake the thing up.

“Earth to Rey, we gotta go to class.”

“I gotta pass from Dameron. I’ll see you later,” Rey waved Jess off, not quite lying. She’d catch hell for missing class but she was so close that she could taste it.

Judge Krendler had been the victim of a grotesque murder. He had been a juvenile crimes judge in Baltimore. His body had been disemboweled, his eyes removed, and his hands nailed down. Scattered around his body were photos of young boys. Rey pulled up the case and began to track down the names of the boys. The FBI slowly learned that Krendler’s cases had an unusually high rate of recidivism and he was funnelling boys to a justice center where they were being pimped out. They found large deposits from the prison’s corporate owners in the judge’s accounts. Just thinking about made Rey’s stomach cramp in horror. Most of them had been under the age of fifteen. Many of them did not survive their abusers.

But this is why she became an agent--to stop these from happening. To make the world a safer place for all. To ensure justice be done.

The FBI file indicated that two of the boys had not been identified. Rey saved their images onto her computer and opened up Instagram. She put the pictures in the face recognition software, dumping in the Instagram URL, and the program began to scan the images, rifling through the IG uploads using face recognition software.

Meanwhile as the program slogged through the data, Rey opened another tab to browse Facebook. She tapped her finger against her lip impatiently as she scrolled through Ben’s top friends on Facebook. She stuck her tongue out at Bazine Netal’s pictures of them smiling on a beach from several months ago before mentally scolding herself. Best not go down that path.

The program pinged. Thrumming with excitement, Rey opened it up to see three smiling faces--Ben, from several years ago judging by his awkward hair cut, standing next to a boy about his age who had his arm around another boy, this one younger. Rey surmised that the other two boys were brothers, a conclusion drawn by their similar facial structure.

The user’s name was GentP and the caption read: Throwback to academy days with Ben. And my baby bro. Miss him forever. RIP.

Rey’s heart caught in her throat. She reviewed the file again. This boy, with a wide dimpled grin and bright green eyes, had not been found at the Baltimore detention center. She narrowed her gaze. GentP knew something. And somehow he got Kylo Ren to murder the judge.

She had been confident of it the night she had told Han but now she was certain.

Rey messaged Poe: _I think I figured it out._

_Shouldn’t you be in class?_

_Pentathlon Giant is a person. We just need to find him._

_I’ll look into it,_ Poe typed back.  Rey tried to push back at the anxiety crawling up her spine. She thought back to her ADA cases. There were ways to track usernames but they usually required warrants. She could look at the IP address and maybe use the information to get a geographical location. Slowly, she scrolled through the entire Instagram account, scrutinizing each and every photo.

Her eyes began to droop from her long night and lack of sleep. Rey took another swig of bitter coffee. The photos began to include more family images. GentP was a tall man with broad shoulders and soft brown hair. He looked like his brother with the sharp chin and freckles. In the picture, the young boy and GentP played with legos or splashed in a water park. In another, GentP stood in a family photo with his parents smiling proudly as he held an award.

Rey squinted at the caption: _Best computer program designer MIT Summer Camp 2002_

She shot over to the MIT website and hunted for the summer camp, foot jiggling on her leg. While she waited for search results, Rey scanned through the photos on the Instagram. Her eyes widened just as the MIT website spit out its results. She read both pages, confirming what she saw.

“Son of a bitch,” she swore.

Gent P, also known as Kyle LaRocca, was a five time winner of the computer designer award at MIT. He was also resident of Gent Plantation, Virginia.

Pentathlon Giant

Gent Plantation.

 

Rey dressed quickly, downloading her finds into a flash drive, and jogged out of her room, tearing across the quad to the offices on the other side. She streaked past the tours, the crowds whispering in excitement as she ran into the BAU building. Rey skidded past forensic techs lugging in large containers, accidentally bumping into the wall, before she crashed into Ben’s--Poe’s--office. Poe was asleep at his desk, feet propped up, and a file on his chest. Finn was dozing at the conference table, head pillowed by his arms. Rey was seized by a tender and protective feeling so strongly that she backed out of the room and leaned against the chilly stone wall until it passed.

It did her no good to get close to anyone.  Recent events should have taught her that.

She repeated this to herself until she felt calmer and, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, Rey walked in and tumbled into one of the chairs.

“Poe,” she said quietly and the man shot up, hand immediately going for a gun not there. He blinked at her suddenly and she smiled brightly. He looked at the clock reading 10:13am and looked back at her.

“Did I sleep here all night?,” he asked confusedly.

“Probably, although you texted me back this morning,” Rey said gently. Finn yawned loudly, jaw cracking with the movement, and ran a hand down his rumpled suit. He groaned when he looked at the clock.

“Poe, we gotta stop doing this,” Finn mumbled. Poe hit a button and asked his admin for coffee and Rey’s leg shook as she waited for their attention. Finn turned his sleepy face to Rey.

“What did you find, peanut?,” he inquired gently.

“The pentathlon giant is a person. Ben had a roommate while he was at the Academy. Kyle LaRocca.”

“Was he a marathon runner?” Poe scratched as his five o’clock shadow. Rey shook her head.

“No he’s from Gent Plantation. About two hours from here in Virginia.” Poe exchanged a swift look with Finn who came up and put his hands on Rey’s shoulder.

“Rey, give everything you’ve got to Poe. And then go to class,” Finn ordered quietly. Rey inhaled sharply.

“Why?,” she demanded.

“OPR is coming here to interview you today,” Poe informed her. “You should have gotten an email. We need you to be on your best behavior.”

“We give you a lot of leeway,” Finn added. “Some might say too much. So you need to be the very model of a modern FBI trainee. A perfect specimen.”  Rey gaped at the two men, her gaze flicking between them both as they stared at her seriously.

“Is it that bad?” Her voice wavered for a moment and she swallowed hard.

“Someone wants to know how a trainee caught Kylo Ren. And called the locals rather than reporting it to us. To someone like me. You’re going to have to explain why you and Han were at Ben’s house,” Poe answered.

“They are going to go over everything,” Finn told her. “Every single moment you were with Kylo.” His gaze was heavy and significant and Rey looked away, cheeks growing warm. She wondered how much Finn and Poe suspected and batted at the shame nagging her.

Poe cleared his throat. “Good work, Rey. We’ll take it from here.” Rey opened her mouth to protest and Finn gave her a quick warning shake. Rey clenched her fists and forced herself to exhale slowly out of her nose before wheeling around and stalking out of the room. Finn jogged after her and grabbed her arm.

“You did good, Kenobi. Poe will make sure your name will be on the file,” Finn said, steering her toward the doors. Rey yanked her elbow out of his grip.

“I should be a part of this!,” she hissed. Finn gave her a steady look.

“Rey, you and I both know that you shouldn’t be near this. Whatever Kylo said to you--yeah it’s Kylo, Rey, you know it, Ben is gone--you need to consider that it was designed to hurt you. Now I don’t know what happened to you two on that stake out but this schoolgirl crush you have has got to end. OPR will find out about it and someone, either them or a defense attorney, is going to obliterate you with it in the witness box.” Rey stubbornly shook her head, a part of her relieved that Finn didn’t seem to know the full extent of her and Ben’s relationship. If you could call it that.

“It’s not a crush,” she sullenly rebutted.

“Yeah it is. And you smelled like him after the stakeout.” The accusation wasn’t in his amiable tone but it was there underneath and Rey shuddered.

“Nothing happened,” she mumbled and Finn shrugged.

“Perception is king. It doesn’t matter if something did or not.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at her, kindness in his gaze, and she couldn’t meet it. She didn’t want kindness. She wanted someone to tell her how stupid she was. Someone other than herself.

Gathering her well forged coldness around herself, Rey met his eyes. “We were shot at and he covered me. There are plenty of reasons why I could smell like him, even have his blood on me.” The corner of Finn’s lips lifted in a brief smile before flitting away again, his lines schooled back into seriousness.

“Keep your fire, peanut,” he softly said before turning and heading back to Poe’s office, his broad back a retreating rock of comfort for her.  But the sympathy from him was too much and with a small choking sound, she turned stiffly away and ran back to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is plunged even deeper into the mystery around the First Order and Kylo Ren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Acronyms: 
> 
> OPR--Office of Professional Responsibility. They monitor the conduct of FBI Agents  
> SAIC--Special Agent in Charge. This was Ben's designation but would now be Poe's.  
> BAU--Behavioral Analysis Unit. Think close to Criminal minds but not really as they are mostly in an advisory capacity (according to Wikipedia). 
> 
> Many thanks to Sansacat for beta'ing. Any errors are mine. I stole a very well known scene from Silence of the Lambs here. Much credit to Thomas Harris, Jonathan Demme, Jodi Foster, and Anthony Hopkins for pulling it off well too. And to whoever played well, I can't say. ;)

Rey threw on her uniform, still smarting from her slapdown from Finn. She knew it was for the best and that he was looking out for her but her chest still tightened at the memory. She stared at her wan face in the mirror, sighing as she hunted for concealer to hide the bruises under her eyes.

As she dabbed the makeup on, her room phone rang shrilly.

“Rey Kenobi,” she answered.

“Ms. Kenobi. You are due in the Jefferson building in ten minutes,” Poe’s admin, Bedelia Bailey, told her. “He wanted me to remind you.” Her tone was stiff but gentle and Rey got the impression that she was irritated at calling an insignificant trainee.

“Thank you ma’am. I appreciate it,” Rey answered softly. She finished dressing and hurried out of the room, grabbing her keys and her pass. She wasn’t sure what the OPR official wanted but she took the flash drive, the one she deliberately neglected to give to Poe, and tucked it in her corner pocket of her jeans.

Jefferson was a modern building, all blue glass and gleaming tile. She checked her email on her phone, seeing the room, and jogged up to the second floor. Her palms itched and she could feel the sweat on her brow. She didn’t know what to expect from OPR. She had heard rumors that depending on who lead the investigation, you could be crucified from the start.

She wondered how she would explain the hotel room. That what she saw in Ben’s face convinced her that he wasn’t what he seemed. Rey bit her lip as she neared the open door, two voices drifting out. She hesitated by the entranceway, listening to them, and feeling a whit of shame.

Who was she becoming, she wondered. Withholding evidence in a childish temper and eavesdropping on superiors.

“I don’t care!,” a male voice said viciously. “You do what you need to do to get her out of here.”

“Thanisson,” the other voice, a calmer, cooler male voice, “I just can’t dismiss a trainee. I need a reason. So far, Kenobi has been a model trainee. Top of her class. Shooting needs some work but she’ll probably get drafted in BAU and won’t be in the field much.” Rey frowned at the assessment, her fingers twitching by her thigh.

“She called the cops on a senator’s son. She broke protocol.”

“She was outside her jurisdiction. And if you haven’t seen the photos, she was covered in blood.”

“Yeah, think about that, Mitaka,” Thanisson snarled. “Han Solo, the kid’s own dad, was sliced open and, except for a few bruises, she walked away scot free.”

“Listen, sir--”

“I don’t care what you need to do to get her out of here,” Thanisson cut in, his voice cold. Rey shuddered and took a step back. “If you don’t take care of her, then someone else will. And that will be another dead innocent body on your conscience. Can you imagine the look on your wife’s face when she sees what you did to that prostitute?”

“I didn’t do anything to a prostitute,” Mitaka protested feebly.

“I doesn’t matter if you did. It matters that it appears you did,” the other man snidely said. Rey didn’t stay to hear the rest of the conversation, turning on her heel and fleeing. She raced to her car and slid in and without thinking clearly, drove off the campus, car headed toward Baltimore.

 

* * *

 

 

A little more than hour after his discussion with Rey, Finn Prince strolled across the campus, the dew from the grass sticking to his slacks. It was still chilly in the morning and wisps of fog clung to the tips of the trees that lined the campus. He shuddered as he remembered he had his annual physical coming up and had to run through those woods again. His phone pinged and he pulled it out as he opened the door for Classroom building A.

It was a text from Poe.

_I’ve emailed Rey asking her to send me all of her data. She should be out of the OPR meeting now. Make sure our girl’s alright?_

Finn quickly punched in his response. _I’ll check in._

 _I’ll follow up with Mitaka and BB._ Poe always called Bedelia BB much to her veiled amusement. Finn chuckled wryly as he pocketed the phone, and hurried up the stairs to the classroom. He was guest lecturing on sex trafficking recruitment methods with a few other agents to the graduating class, of which Rey was a member. One of the top ten too, but Poe would never let her know it.

They were both pleased when she had been assigned to them. She was a quick study, a sharp mind, and an even sharper sense of humor. Poe had hinted at some vague tragic backstory but she never spoke of it and at the age of twenty-six, she didn’t seemed particularly bothered by it. She seemed destined for a well cited career until she stumbled upon the fact that Kylo Ren was Benjamin Bail Solo, the SAIC of the First Order task force, and the son of Senator Leia Organa and former FBI deputy director Han Solo.

Poe already said Justice had people digging into her background to see how a trainee had figured out what agents couldn’t discover for eight years. Finn himself had been blindsidesd, working alongside Ben for nearly two years, and considering him a friend of sorts. Poe had worked with Ben even longer and didn’t want to talk about when Finn asked. He only shook his head sadly and drowned himself in work and whiskey.

Finn entered the semi-full classroom, scanning it to find Rey. He frowned when he didn’t spy her in the dim room. The instructor ordered the class to settle and as seats were taken, she still didn’t arrive. Concerned, he pulled out his phone and sent Poe a text. A few moments later, it pinged back.

_She never showed up for her OPR meeting._

Growling under his breath, Finn excused himself and jogged out of the room. He punched in Poe’s office number from a telephone in the foyer.

“Check the damn asylum,” he barked at Poe, already figuring that she went off in to confront Kylo with what she found. “And tell your agents if they see her to detain her and strip her credentials.”

“Finn!,” Poe protested.

“It’s for her own good. You think OPR didn’t have a case before? Well they do now. And this isn’t the first time she’s gone against a direct order,” Finn shot back before slamming down the phone and running down to his office to make some more calls.

 

* * *

 

The orderly took her down without any questions, letting her know that a chair was already waiting for her. She tried not to look as nervous as she felt. She was already on thin ice and she just strolled off campus without permission. But she had to know. It felt surreal to her and she needed answers now. She deeply suspected that the First Order went deeper into the FBI beyond the Ben.

As she strode past the other cells, an inmate jumped on the bars and made a whistling sound at her.

“Pretty, pretty, I used to fuck pretty mouths like yours,” he hissed. Rey shot him a distasteful look and edged closer to the wall, moving away from his grasping fingers reaching through the bars. She found Kylo standing by his cot and looking toward the other cell. As she took the seat, he flicked his flat black gaze over her.

“What did he just say to you?,” he demanded.

“None of your business,” Rey retorted. “I’m here about the pentathlon giant.”

“I don’t like you being treated rudely,” Kylo snapped, moving swiftly away from his bed and toward the corner nearest to the other cell.

“Resdox,” he crooned, “you like my pretty visitor?”

Resdox only made grunting noises and Rey heard strained breathing. She shifted nervously

“Come now, Resdox, tell me how you feel. You know I’ll never betray you,” Kylo whispered through the bars. Redsox groaned.

“Pretty face, pretty cunt.,” Resdox got out in gasps. Rey moved to stand on the other side of the glass from Kylo.

“What are you trying to prove? Knock it off!,” she commanded. Kylo barely spared her a glance. Huffing, Rey went to Resdox’’s cell, hoping to calm him down.

“Sir, can you please ignore him. He’s just going to---”Rey spluttered to a stop as she was hit on the cheek with something warm and salty. She grimaced as she realized it was semen. The door at the end opened and the orderly came running down.

“Are you alright?,” he demanded. He handed her a handkerchief and, gratefully, Rey took it and wiped down her face, cheeks flushed red. The orderly had gone into the cell to restrain Redox and Rey wandered over to Kylo. She winced at the howl coming from the other cell.

“You did not answer his question,” he said quietly. She noticed him watching her intently, eyes flat and predatory, and frowned.

“Whose?”

“The orderly’s. Barney’s.” He seemed deadly intent on her answer, his gaze a searing brand on her skin. Rey shrugged and tried to defuse the situation.  

“I’m fine. Men have said worse to me before.”

“Have they?” He seemed almost eager to hear her answer and Rey tried not to shudder. “I apologize, Rey. I apologize that Resdox was rude to you.” He offered a crooked smile, fists clenching by his side. “But if you make it through graduation, perhaps this is a future you’ll get used to. Visiting us criminals in the hallowed halls of the BSHCI.”

Rey snorted and walked up to the glass, meeting Kylo’s eyes. She kept her voice low.

“Pentathlon giant was cute, Kylo. Gent plantation. A place and a person. Interesting how Kyle LaRocca is so closed to Kylo Ren. Literally and figuratively.”

“Roommates hardly imply intimacy,” Kylo replied casually and Rey let out a low laugh.

“You knew him your whole life. Funny how he seems to have disappeared after graduation,” she commented. “But I did get to look at all of his rewards. Computer science. Interesting choice, especially with a criminal law major.”

Kylo turned away from her and flopped down on his bed. He slouched against the wall and narrowed his eyes. She tried not to quail under his gaze. She remembered that look all too well.

“Back to basics, aren’t we Kenobi? First principles are the most important but often overlooked. We want to glamorize our killers.”

“Who was Kyle LaRocca? He hasn’t been seen since you graduated but there’s no death certificate and no missing person file.”

“You're asking all sorts of questions but checking the wrong boxes.”

“What do you want?,” Rey challenged. “What were all those bodies about?”

“You never said how you found me, Rey. How did you figure it out?” Rey shook her head and stepped away, folding her arms across her chest. It would always come back to this.

“It was because I went back to basics,” she finally said. “Dameron asked me to review the older files and I noticed a pattern.”

“I left no pattern,” Kylo stated, the pride heavy in his features. Rey snorted.

“No you didn’t. And that was the pattern. A lack of evidence. And then what happened in the hotel room on stakeout…” she drifted in thought and looked up at the camera watching her. She turned to scrutinize Kylo, before taking a sudden step back. He had moved again to stand next to her, separated only by the thick glass. His eyes were dark and unreadable, his face wiped clean of all expression.

“Do you think that by coming here I’ll lead you to the First Order?,” he asked, his voice dangerous. “Somehow inordinately lead you to them? I’ve already given you so much Rey, even your life. ”

Rey leaned back, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. “My life? You mean the shooting at the hotel? No, we were never in danger.” Kylo smiled broadly at her.

“You followed my teachings to find out about me, Rey Kenobi. But not about yourself. Tell me, how did you like your little boarding school in New York? The Hudson Valley isn’t very exciting but good for a grieving girl, I’d think.” Rey blinked at him, confused at the turn.

“Why are you dragging up my past?,” she demanded and his smile widened.

“Your file was sparse, Kenobi. Much like you. So much unlike myself.”

“This isn’t a compatibility test.”

“Hmmmm, but you weren’t saying that earlier.” His husky voice nudged at her and she quickly brushed aside the memory he was trying to evoke.

“You’ll say what you need to in order to survive. Tell me about Kyle! Something about Kyle pushed you. What was it? And why is the First Order interfering with my--” The buzzer at the end of the hall sounded loudly and Rey turned, her face immediately blanching. Kylo’s eyes had narrowed but he caught her expression and chuckled softly, so close it was almost into her ear.

“It’s my mother isn’t it? And I don’t think you’re here with official permission, not dressed like that, trainee.”

Striding down the corridor was Senator Leia Organa trailed by several attorneys, judging by their somber attire. Her greying brown hair was in an elaborate coif on top of her head and she wore her navy blue power suit as comfortably as Rey wore her jeans and tee shirt. Rey shrunk back and edged toward the corridor wall. But too late, Leia had already fastened her steely gaze on the young woman and she raised a hand, beckoning her forward.

“Rey Kenobi,” she called and Rey ducked her head. Kylo smirked and moved away from the glass.

“Senator Organa, ma’am,” Rey acknowledged. Leia gave her a quick look, one Rey wanted to ascribe as scathing but it was more evaluative. The rumors about Leia swirled in her head and she shut them down. A little voice nagged at her, asked her if it were possible that Thaniasson was part of her detail.

“Well, you look healthy and that’s important,” Leia murmured and Rey lifted a brow. She shot a glance to Kylo, who shrugged his shoulders and mouthed _what about OPR._ She ignored him. 

“Senator?,” she asked and Leia sighed, straightening her shoulders.

“Doesn’t matter. Please wait for me upstairs.” An attorney stepped forward and whispered in her ear. Leia waved them away. “Yes, yes, we’ll be discreet.” She smiled at Rey, a shark scenting prey, and Rey immediately saw who Ben took after the most. She had thought it was Han, especially with Han’s dry humor, but he was really Leia’s child through and through. She looked once more at Kylo who mockingly saluted her. She muttered an agreement at Leia and scurried upstairs.  Rey collapsed into a chair in the waiting room, ashamed to discover that her legs were shaking. What was that about? Was this Leia coming to ruin her career? Between a potentially angry senator and OPR, she wasn’t sure if she had a career left. Running out of that office to visit Kylo had been stupid, she snarled at herself. But she had to get to the bottom of how deep the corruption went. And only Kylo would know, even if he gave her another anagram.

And to be distracted by the taunting of the man in the next cell and her need to prove that she wasn’t stupid to him had let her get off track, focusing on LaRocca and not the FO. Another rookie mistake, she swore, berating herself repeatedly for her continued round of mistakes.

Rey watched the clock count the minutes and clung to the arms of the chair, heart pumping fear and anticipation with every beat. Although it seemed like hours, it was merely twenty minutes before the Senator reappeared with the attorneys. She conferred with them for a moment before many peeled away and left. Rey realized that two of the men were actually bodyguards as they hovered around the senator. Leia checked her watch before looking at Rey.

“It’s nearly lunch time. Shall we?,” she smiled at Rey. “And don’t worry about your car. Hand Hector here the keys and he’ll follow.”  Reluctantly, Rey dropped the keys into the bodyguard’s outstretched palm and followed Leia out to the car. She expected a limo but saw a dark SUV. Leia had to hop to get inside and Rey wondered how such a short woman gave birth to the giant below.

The ride was quiet to a small cafe about twenty minutes away, in a suburb on the outskirts of Baltimore. Rey shifted underneath the senator’s studious gaze. But Leia only made small talk, asking about Rey’s graduation date, courses, and interests in the FBI once she left. Rey couldn’t decide if the last one was a barb or not. But she answered plainly with a thin smile to hide the anger rising within. Rey did not like being toyed with and she suspected that this is what was happening.

Leia chose an outside table and her bodyguards assembled around them, taking seats at the surrounding tables. It was a small cafe with bright curtains and a cutesy handwritten menu.

“I used to love coming here with Han when we first got married. It’s too small to really be important and the food too simple to appeal to the gourmands,” Leia said in her gravelly voice. “Of course, nowadays, it’s all big and famous because of you kids and your hipster aesthetic or whatever it is.” She waved her hand as she spoke, sliding on a pair of smoke colored glasses as she smiled blandly at Rey. A server came over and Rey ordered an unsweetened iced tea and Leia, a mineral water. She tipped her head as the server left and Rey felt like she had to seize the moment.

“First off, senator, let me say I’m sorry--”

“Sorry for what?,” Leia butted in, all frowns.

“For catching your son. I didn’t know, I mean I knew Ben was your son, but I didn’t…” Rey stopped as Leia let out a big harsh laugh.

“Oh, is this coming from the talk on the Hill?,” Leia barked. “Sweetheart, I’m not out to get you. Now, one of my colleagues might be, which is why I’d like you to come to dinner this Saturday, let them see that I support you. Bring one of them other fellas with you, not Poe, Finn, since he had a crucial part in the West Coast exposure of the FO.” Leia stopped talking and Rey wondered why. A moment later the server appeared and placed the drinks in front of them. Rey began to smile more broadly as she realized why Leia had fallen silent.  The waiter took their orders and left quickly.

“Takes a lifetime to learn but you get the skill,” Leia said. “Otherwise, they just sell what they hear to the next tabloid rag. Or, in this case, TMZ.”

“Does TMZ do the political stuff?”

“Oh sure, when your son is a serial killer,” Leia joked as she took a sip of mineral water. Rey winced and Leia waved it away. “Ben was murdering people, Rey. As much as it pains me as a mother--and it does, it’s shameful and embarrassing and heartbreaking. I am working with families calling and screaming at me. There’s so much grief. And it’s so heartbreaking to know that my son caused them this pain. As much as people are looking for a scapegoat, he caused that grief, Rey. You didn’t. You gave answers to families looking for them.”

Rey took a choking swallow of the iced tea to push back the lump in her throat. She looked away, out at the street, the cars slowly driving down through the little shopping center past the quaint looking shops. She felt the senator’s eyes on her and refused to meet them.  But the worry, the worry that had been eating away at her, keeping her awake all night as all sorts of nightmares plagued her, was gone. She felt lighter and more sure of herself.

She had to stay focused. Rey blinked behind her sunglasses and wondered what the senator’s game was. She didn’t truly know anything about Leia except what Han had said in passing and she mostly chalked it up to the bitterness of marital separation.

“You’re very forgiving,” she finally said.

Leia snorted. “You haven’t been hanging out with Han long enough if you think that. What I am is _practical._ ” She heaved a sigh at that, as if that word had been lobbed at her before, and with venom. For a moment, Rey could see the politician before Leia’s brow furrowed with worry and the mother took her place. “And I’m concerned about Ben. We’ve got excellent attorneys but how safe can he be? The First Order has broken people out of prison before. Surely they can--”

“Never out of maximum security, ma’am,” Rey broke in. “And we’ve got FBI all over the place. Secret Service has been meeting with Ben about the money laundering to see if he was involved. He’s under great surveillance, not just orderlies and hospital guards.”

Leia leveled a steely look at Rey. “Surveillance relies on people, Rey, and people can be bought.”  The senator pressed her lips together before pasting a bright smile on her face. The server appeared, placing a chicken salad sandwich in front of Rey and a heaping salad before Leia. The salad was a lovely bright collection of leafy greens with a bright red drizzle, apples, blue cheese, and nuts topped with grilled chicken strips. Rey looked at the salad then at her sad sandwich.

“Should’ve gotten that instead,” she remarked ruefully and Leia laughed.

“FBI, always thinking with their stomachs.”

“I’m not real FBI. Not yet.”

“You will be. Graduation is in what? Three weeks? You’re in the top of your class, you’ll do fine. Come to my house Saturday, come to the dinner party, wear some sort of garden dress, maybe a little sweater--it still gets cold you know--and let them put a face to the name. Smile and let them grow to like you. You’ll need favors on the Hill.” Leia spoke rapidly between small bites of chicken. Rey held back a huff, the little niggling anger that told her a man would never have to play this game, never be told to put on a little garden dress and flirt with senators to keep their careers afloat.

“Don’t let it eat you,” Leia said quietly. “You can’t take it all on.”

“Why not?,” Rey said sharply.

Leia studied Rey for a moment before answering. “I knew your parents, briefly. And I mean, I didn’t really know them, we just ran in the same circles for a time. I’m sorry about their deaths.” Rey said nothing. She had heard the words so many times that they rang hollow now. “But your father was like you. Wanted to change everything at once. Your mother kept him grounded. That’s what you need. Let me ground you, Rey. Who knows what would have happened to Ben if you hadn’t caught him? No one stays in the First Order forever.”

Rey waved the server over and politely asked for a to go container. Leia picked at her salad quietly.

“Thank you for lunch, senator,” Rey said. “Please let me know about the party on Saturday.”

“I will. Let me know if I can do anything to help.” Rey placed her sandwich in the box and paused.

“Actually, you can. What can you tell me about about Ben’s freshman roommate?”

“Kyle?  His family live up on the old Gent plantation in north west Virginia.”

“What do you know about them?,” Rey tried not to let the excitement show on her face. Leia waved her hand dismissively.

“Old family, fought in the Confederate and they see that as something to be proud of,” she wrinkled her nose in distaste. “They kept the old house, apparently Washington used to visit. They give tours but they still live in the old thing. Somewhere near Winchester. His parents died junior year, plane crash poor boy, and I’m not sure he finished. He was very bright and majoring in computer science, I think.” Rey held her breath, forced the anticipation to slide off of her, as she added his family history. The file had not mentioned that Kyle’s parents were dead.

Leia cocked her head. “Does that help?”

“Somewhat yes,” Rey replied vaguely. “Thank you again for lunch.” Leia waved it away as her cell phone rang. Her face paled at the number and Rey froze by the table, quickly surveying the area. A couple was being seated two tables away from them and Hector moved to stand next to Leia.

Leia spoke quickly and urgently into the phone a few times before flicking the call end with a sigh.

“Are you alright?,” Rey asked. Leia lifted her chin to look at her.

“Did a man name Resdox flick semen on you this morning?” Rey’s brows shot up and she noticed Hector gave Rey a brief glance, his one eyebrow cocked.

“Yes, he was next to Ben’s cell. It was some sort of power contest, I think. Ben said he didn’t like him being rude to me.” Rey gave a half shrug, conveying she didn’t quite believe the story.

“He’s dead, Rey. He bit through his tongue. The orderly said Kylo had been whispering to him since we left. He was on blood thinners….they didn’t get to him in time…,” Leia said calmly. Rey could see why she was head of the Justice committee by her bloodless reaction.  

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this,” Rey said after a moment of silence.

“All I know is that I need to call my lawyers again,” Leia sighed heavily and gestured for Hector to return Rey’s keys.  “See you Saturday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone made a joke that Star Wars naming conventions is just taking a known value and switching things around, including other Star Wars characters. (For example Hondo is now Holdo). Resdox from RedSox (and I'm not opening up that can of worms).
> 
> Thanisson and Resdox are listed in the Visual Dictionary as being First Order Officers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey discovers more shocking truths while her life is in peril

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your kind comments and kudos! I'm happy that you are enjoying it!  
> I did add Red Dragon into the tags since so many of you pointed out that it is very close to Red Dragon and that is true, especially the whole Becoming bit. I'm a confirmed Hannigram shipper so the TV show is also source material. (If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it!)
> 
> The "doesn't this look desperately random, like the elaborations of a bad liar" was taken directly from Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal leaves a note to Clarice with these notes on the map of where bodies were found. 
> 
> Many thanks to Sansacat for beta'ing. She is amazing! Any other errors are my own. 
> 
> Ta

 

Rey sat in her car, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. She knew she ought to return to Quantico. She imagined Finn and Poe had found out that she did not show up for her meeting nor did she show up for class. She reached into her purse and pulled out the little black wallet holding her temporary ID.

“Not a trainee. An agent in training,” Ben once had told her. “Training doesn’t make you less than. It just means you’re getting an education.  And showing old geezers like Dameron here how to do his job.”   He threw a sly wink at Poe and Rey had flushed crimson.

Quantico wasn’t the right way, Rey reasoned. The conversation she overheard between Thanisson and Mitaka placed everyone there in danger. The only way to succeed would be to provide overwhelming evidence.

And she bet that she could get that from Gent Plantation. She pulled up the address on her phone and found it to be less than a two hour drive from her location. She sped down 70 W, window cranked down to let in the fresh spring air, before dialing Jess.

“Where the hell are you?” Pava hissed.

“Chasing a lead,” Rey said. “Listen what can you tell me about Gent plantation?”

“This is my study hour, Kenobi. Not all of us are aceing crim studies like you.”

“And not all of us are aceing markmanship like you either, Pava. Hit me up and I’ll give you pointers.” She heard Pava groan into the phone and then the sound of keys clacking.

“Ok, Gent Plantation, working tobacco plantation until about 1863. It was completely destroyed when Lee took on Union there, blah blah, lots of Civil War history here and I’m not reviewing it. It was turned into a working farm, bought by the LaRocca family in the late 60s and they rehabilitated it back to its antebellum splendor. It’s now an organic farm with beehives. Hey, get me some fresh honey since you’re out there. Last owner was Kyle LaRocca. Hmmm, interesting name.”

“Isn’t it just,” Rey said grimly.

“Anyways, tours of the home and rebuilt areas of the plantation are offered--honestly who does these?--and it is open today until 5pm. Looks like it’s managed by a trust since LaRocca disappeared. No death certificate, no official missing person report.” Rey grappled with the phone and pulled swiftly over onto the shoulder, horns pleating at her as she cut over sharply. She fumbled for a pen and paper in her bag.

She was breathless with anticipation when she asked Jess to repeat what she had just said. Jess dutifully did and then added: “The trust had some management issues, it looks like, and they finally appointed a man named Talon Karrade to run the joint.” Anticipation crashed to a halt and Rey tried not to growl in frustration.

“No direct descendants in the LaRocca family. His brother died and no other siblings. The will is currently being contested since family members, probably some distant cousins, want him declared dead. The estate would roll over to them. Karrade wasn’t a casual pick. He was on a list that LaRocca and his family had submitted to the trust manager prior to Kyle’s disappearance.” Rey scribbled down all that all of the LaRocca family was dead. Parents in a car crash, the younger brother, Vince, disappeared as part of Judge Krender’s sex trafficking ring, and now Kyle gone. This had to be the result of something related to the First Order, otherwise why would Kylo point her toward him?

“For someone who doesn’t like research you are remarkably good at it,” Rey teased kindly and Jess snorted.

“I want to be on Hostage Rescue and you are practically already employed by the BAU. The only research I’m willing to do is for a bribe. There is a picture of this guy from a local article about them revamping the place and adding a restaurant. Based around their famous honey. Seriously, Rey, get me some.”

“What’s the article say?”

Jess was silent for a moment and then replied: “Standard puff piece before an opening. Wants to help the community, keep the history alive, showcasing older recipes with a modern flair--ugh another hipster joint---and a picture.”

“Karrade’s description!” Rey barked.

“Uhhh, let me see if I can get DMV records….system working slowly….um, okay maybe five eleven, green eyes, brown hair…” Rey’s heart raced as she realized the man’s description matched Kyle LaRocca’s. “Send me everything you got. Please”

“And?” Jess prodded.

Rey blew out her air. “And I’ll get you some honey.”

“That’s right!” Jess crowed triumphantly. “But do this interview and get out. Agents Prince and Dameron have been looking for you.”

“I’m screwed, I know.”

“He thinks you went to Baltimore and he called up there. And apparently someone in the asylum died. What happened Rey?”

“Don’t worry about,” Rey evaded. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “Let Finn know that I’m okay would you? So he doesn’t arrange roadblocks next.”

“Hell no. I’m not getting a flag on my OPR file for helping you.”

“Come on Pava!” Rey pleaded. “Major study help and honey and I’ll take you out for dinner next week to that little Thai place that you love.”  Jess cursed loudly.

“You drive a hard bargain, Rey,” Jess said reluctantly.

“I’m in debt to you the way I am to Sallie Mae,” Rey promised and Jess laughed.

“Don’t get killed,” she said before she hung up. Rey flipped on her signal and pulled out into traffic.

As she drove, Rey thought about Talon Karrade, Ben, and Gent. She thought about the First Order and why Ben would’ve joined them. The best that the FBI could glean was that the First Order arose from the ashes of the Empire, although neither name made sense except that in that they ruled the underworld with iron fists, controlling all aspects from money laundering to sex trade. Kylo Ren was a murderer for hire and Rey wondered if slapping him with a psychopath label was even right. He didn’t even want to talk about the murders and had remained mute to all questions about methodology. Psychopath wasn’t even the correct term--it was outdated and incorrect. Most psychopaths were diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder but even that wasn’t right. Rey didn’t think that Ben fit the traditional profile of a serial killer. His motives were obscure and he didn’t seem to derive pleasure from it. She wondered what the psychiatrists and analysts asked him about when they interviewed him about the killings. She ironically thought that Ben wasn’t a serial killer; he only killed serially.

And he was on the edge of becoming something different. He was being eclipsed completely by Kylo Ren.  

And that line of thinking would get him the death penalty. Rey gripped the steering wheel tightly and tried not to think of all the ways that FBI agents would be ripping into Ben’s life. To see how much he fit a profile. How many prostitutes he solicited and when. His financial history, including a search for hidden offshore bank accounts. His social history, from who had had beers with after work to childhood relations to his sexual history.

Rey had listened to Ben talk about Bazine a few times when she went with Poe and Finn to meetings. At one point, he talked about breaking up with her and the other agents alternated between teasing or commiserating with him over Chinese take out. He deflected, turning the teasing toward Dameron and his luscious locks, demanding where he got his hair products. Privately, Rey preferred Ben’s longer hair (against regulations, but who was going tell him) but had only ducked her head, cheeks burning as the conversation turned ribald.

“Hey, hey cut it out,” Ben hollered over the men, standing up and planting his hands on his hips. Rey put down her takeout container of lo mein. He looked at the board, pursing his lips. “What do we see? There has to be something we’re missing.”

“Doesn’t this look desperately random?,” Rey asked, gesturing toward the map. Ben turned to look at her.

“What do you mean?”

“The scattering of the sites where Kylo Ren’s victims are found. It seems overdone doesn’t it? Like the elaborations of a bad liar,” Rey mused and she didn’t notice how Ben’s eyebrow twitched at that. All of the agents turned to stare at the obligatory map on the corkboard with so many pins stabbed into it in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. The agents’ eyes were bleary and they had their sweaters pushed up to their elbows but still they shivered in the unreliable heat of the office. The room smelled too much like soy sauce and day old sweat for clear thinking.

“I’m not seeing it,” Finn finally said after a long moment. One of the other agents groaned and staggered out of the room, muttering something about needing a smoke.

“Look, come on, back to basics,” Rey urged them. She got up and moved toward the map. She pointed at the seemingly random array of the dots. “Look at the difference between the victims’ homes and the drop off points.”

“Rey, there isn’t anything there,” Ben sighed. “We’ve had our best look it over for years now.”

“But the data has changed, his pattern hasn’t,” she insisted. She stared at the map and could see it. She could see how they seemed to cross over Wolf Trap,Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Victim’s names and time of death were written next to the pins and Rey shook her head. “It has everything to do with the need to be random. He’s right here in the DMV. He can access all of these points easily on the highway, lots of ways in and out that people might not see. Or that would blend in with traffic.”

“Yes, the profile indicates that,” Ben said blandly. “Rey you’re looking too hard. Go home, get some sleep. You’ve got class tomorrow anyways so you shouldn’t be here.”

“But sir--”

“Now, Rey. It’s an order.” He almost glared at her and Rey defiantly met the gaze. She wasn’t crazy. She knew there was something off about that pattern; something tugged just underneath her conscious thought when she looked at it. But the other agents were avoiding her gaze now, shuffling papers or coughing slightly. Forcing herself to not hunch, Rey gathered her notes and stiffly walked out of the room.

Rey gripped the steering wheel tightly as she thought about the way Ben could cleverly misdirect. It wasn’t until later, when she was driving around the states and visiting some of the closer sites that she ran into Han Solo, PI, and Ben’s father, who was doing the same thing with his partner Chewie Bacca. And it was he who had created a giant map that he spread across the spare room of his condo where she was able to let her fingers walk between the pins so that she was able to see. Able to see how The Plains, Virginia, was the epicenter. They weren’t reading the map right because they were marking victims as found, nevermind forensics had told them that some had died before being found. Once she re-arranged the pins, the crossing lines glared painfully.  
And the Plains was where Ben lived.

From there, she had realized how he deftly steered the conversation when things were getting closer than he liked. With Han’s prodding and reviewing of her notes, she went down into cold storage and reviewed the forensic files. All which suggested that Kylo Ren had multiple personality disorder because each crime scene was different.

But it was Rey that saw that each crime scene told a story and the stories were all the same.

Hidden truths brought to light. Justice finally bestowed.

She and Han created a new chart with the idea that each of these were not contract killings but murders done to meet some sort of mission statement. And that’s when she also noticed another coincidence.

Each of the murders took place when Ben was supposed to be out of town.

There were no coincidences in her field. She began to watch him more closely and it wasn’t until that night at the hotel, during the stakeout, that she knew. When he pulled her off the ground after he had pressed down into her moments ago as bullets and glass rained around them. When he pulled her skirt down, his thumb still brushing her inner upper thigh, and she saw the blankness behind his eyes. She saw the clever bullet pattern.

And she knew.

And since that moment when she arrested him after she and Han confronted him--a confrontation that caused Han to lose most of his bowels--the FBI had been piecing together whatever it was she saw and finding the evidence that supported her theory.

Rey shook her head as her GPS ordered her to take the next exit. She had unhappily allowed the events to overtake her. Stress, she reasoned. Post traumatic stress to past events. She gulped in the cool spring air and flipped her signal up to take the exit, the car groaning as she heavily pumped the brake.

Gent Plantation was a sprawling place, with the main cluster of buildings down a long driveway lined by lofty old oaks. A makeshift parking lot had been carved out to one side next to the largest building and she sat in the car for a moment, listening to the various pings as the engine cooled while she read Jess’s email. She looked at the latest photo of Kyle, taken several years ago. Narrow face with a slender jaw, thick brown hair, and a sad look in his eye. Then she flipped to look at Talon. Very similar features, she noted. Karrade’s face was lined, his jaw square, his lips thinner. But the same structure was there. Either a cousin or a really good face job, Rey thought, an idea bouncing around in her mind. She followed it for a moment before shaking her head and wondering if she was going to be wearing a tinfoil hat soon.

Rey stepped out of the car and brushed down her pants. She surveyed herself critically. She wore jeans and long sleeved navy blue shirt with the FBI logo on the top right. She rooted around in her car for a minute and found her gray suit jacket from her last visit with Kylo. She shrugged it on and hoped she looked slightly more professional.

You’re just here for information, she reminded herself as she walked down the half full parking lot. Her shoes crunched on the loose gravel of the lot. A school bus took up one side and she could see a group of students, maybe sixth or seventh grade, listening to a tour guide as he talked about the plantation’s past.

The main building itself was two stories of fading red brick with white accents. It was really two buildings connected together by a smaller one, maybe by a covered walkway, Rey wasn’t sure. One side was tall and lean with tight square windows, the other broad with wide windows and a slate gable roof. She saw a visitor’s center sign by the squat building.

“Good afternoon,” said an older woman behind the register. She had a thicker than usual Southern accent than one heard in these parts and she was scribbling something in a notebook.

“Good afternoon, I’m wondering if Talon Karrade is here today,” Rey greeted.

“Are you interested in a tour?” the woman asked.

“No, I would like to ask him some questions.” The woman only raised her eyebrow at that and then smiled as a young couple entered in behind her. Sighing, Rey pulled out her badge and quickly showed it to her. The woman’s eyes grew round.

“Now may I speak to him?,” Rey said softly. The woman nodded and picked up a phone. She spoke quietly into it before hanging up.

“He’ll be with you shortly. Please go through the door on the right and wait for him near the parlor,” the woman said. Her eyes were darting around quickly and Rey wondered if she was worried about her job. Nodding her thanks, she went into the main house itself, eyes widening as she entered a 19th century recreation. Certain rooms were roped off to ensure the preservation of art and furniture, each area carefully recreated to ensure authenticity.

Rey stood uncertainly in the hallway, looking at sectioned off room that appeared to be a sitting room from the horsehair couches when she saw a curtain move by the window. She blinked as it rustled again.

Cautiously, Rey moved forward, arms loose at her side.

“Hello,” she called as she neared the doorway. The curtain stopping moving and she paused. She heard the air conditioning kick in and wondered if maybe the curtain was moving from vented air. But then she noticed that there were no vents in the room. Pursing her lips, Rey unhooked the rope blocking her from the room and walked quietly into the sitting area. She moved slowly, carefully, edging closely to the wall, and she watched the curtain sway again.

She picked up a broad silver candlestick from a table as she neared the curtain.

“Whoever is behind the curtain, please step out now. This is the FBI,” she said in her steeliest voice. The curtain whipped around and Rey let out a little yelp as a shaggy haired tall man looked down at her.

“Rey?” the man asked through a thick accent that almost mangled his words. Rey broke into a grin and the man fully stepped out.

“Chewie! What are you doing here?”

“You shouldn’t be here, Rey, it’s too dangerous,” Chewie said, his eyes darting around the room. Rey frowned. Chewie had always been the voice of reason but she was surprised at the brush off.

“I’m investigating a connection between Talon Karrade and Kyle LaRocca.” Chewie shot her a sharp look and tensed up. Rey frowned. “What is it?”

“You need to get out of here. They’ve already got you in their crosshairs,” Chewie replied grimly.

“I know,” Rey grimly confirmed and Chewie looked startled.

“Then why are you here? For a bright girl, you can be incredibly dense sometimes.”  Rey blanched at that and Chewie plowed on. “You took out their knight and possibly revealed some of their greatest secrets. They are gonna get rid of you one way or another. Either through their operatives in Congress or by taking you out, and you know what I mean.”

“Do I?,” Rey asked quietly. Chewie looked at her quickly before moving toward the hallway.

“Don’t stop for any stranded cars, that’s all the advice you get from me, kid,” he muttered. He was feeling along the wall as he spoke and he stopped as his burly paw brushed over a set of books. He paused and lingered over one set, tracing each spine before he let out a grunt and pulled a book back. One set of bookcases swung open revealing a stairway.

“What the--,” Rey exclaimed.

“Talon Karrade is Kyle LaRocca. And he is part of the First Order,” Chewie said. A sharp clicking noise stopped him and Rey froze. She knew that sound.

She looked over her shoulder to see Karrade aiming a gun at her.

“Not quite right but close enough, Chewie,” Karrade drawaled. He flashed a bright smile at Rey. “I see people have seen the trail Ben has been so carefully laying. Tell me, Ms. Kenobi, can I be expecting anymore visits from the FBI?”

“Yes,” Rey replied defiantly. “I’ve let my supervisor know I’m here.”

“Did you now?” Karrade smiled widely. “How convenient. Please, take a seat.” He gestured toward the couch. Rey waved for a moment and Karrade pulled the trigger. A glass lamp next to Rey’s elbow exploded and she let out a little yelp. Shards of glass flew through the air, needling her arm and elbow as they struck her.

“Next time, I won’t miss,” he said, gesturing again for her to sit. Gripping her bleeding elbow tightly, sharp prickles of pain throbbing where glass had embedded into her skin, Rey hurried to the couch.

“You too big fellow. You’re not as easy to miss.” Chewie let out a soft growl and glared at Karrade. The air was thick with tension and Karrade swung the gun from him to aim at Rey. His meaning was clear. Chewie scowled fiercely before clomping over to sit next to Rey. He ripped off his tee shirt and used it to bandage her arm. Karrade made a clucking noise.

“If you kill me, you’ll definitely get the FBI looking for you,” Rey stated calmly. She thought back to the hostage negotiation classes and worked on remaining calm. Karrade only continued smiling his same wide smile, his eyes a strange glass flat.

“I’m not worried about the FBI, I’m worried about the First Order in the FBI,” he said.

“Why? Are you hiding from them?” Karrade smirked and tilted his head. Rey began to pull together all of the seemingly disparate facts.

“You’re stupid to think they’re not everywhere. Hell, little lady, they’ve been in your life since you were eight years old and you hardly even know it. Yet somehow, even after you found Ben, you’re still alive.” Karrade paused to chuckle and Rey blinked stupidly. Eight years? But that was when her parents died…..

“Did they kill my parents?” she asked blankly, not at all caring that she was drifting off task.

“First principles, Rey. Simplicity. Who benefited from your parents’ death?” Karrade mocked. She heard Ben’s voice so clearly in his then.

“What, was Meditations required reading or something?” Rey shot back.

Karrade smiled in surprise. “Actually, it was. Ben and I both bonded over it. It lead us to examine our lives and well, we discovered some interesting truths about them.”

“Is that why you both joined the First Order?” Rey snarled. Chewie laid a hand on her knee and she shoved it off, ignoring the pain slicing up her arm. It ached and it throbbed and she could feel every sliver of glass in her skin but she couldn’t give a damn in that moment.

“If by join you mean I was recruited, then yes,” Karrade answered honestly. “My father took out too many loans to keep this place afloat. The First Order found out that he had a son who excelled at comp sci. Their price was not money, but me.”

“And you thought it would protect your brother,” Rey hazarded and Karrade’s knuckles whitened on the gun.

“Yes. Vincent had a shoplifting problem. It shouldn’t have sent him to that facility. And the FO should have kept him out since I was doing so much dirty work for them. But they didn’t. They let that monster move my brother and he died. At the hands of some pervert!” Rey thought that the pervert was probably another unsolved murder. If they even had found the body.

“When did you meet up with Ben again?” she asked cautiously. Karrade favored her with a hollow smile.

“Oh I think I’ve said enough,” he said sadly. “You’re a bright girl. If Ben sent you on to me, then I think the FO isn’t far behind.”

“Sharks eventually eat their own,” Chewie growled and Karrade laughed humorlessly.

“The FO does so admire cannibalism. How do you think they get ahead? How do you think your precious godson made it to become Snoke’s righthand man?” Rey seized on the name and filed it away. The FBI had not yet discovered the leader of the FO. But as she stared at Karrade, her eyes narrowed and in that moment, in that flash of the stupid anagram Kylo tossed at her, even has he mocked her, she saw his design.

“You’re the reason why Ben joined the First Order,” she breathed.

Karrade raised a brow but shook his head. “Insightful. Close but no cigar.”

“Then tell me!” Rey demanded. Karrade blew out his breath and glanced out the window. He seemed to waver and Rey felt the need to push forward. She shut it down and shot Chewie a look to remain quiet.

Karrade heaved a sigh and his shoulders slumped, the gun lowering to the ground. “Ben helped me fake my death, take on this name Karrade to hide from the FO. I went against their orders when they let that man have Vincent. But I had also discovered Leia’s big secret.” Rey inhaled sharply as she thought back to the quick witted woman she dined with only hours before. “Leia’s father was in the precursor to the FO, the Empire. He was the Emperor’s right hand man.”

“Darth Vader,” Rey supplied. Karrade nodded miserably.

“I thought I had the right to tell Ben. And well,after that, and after Vincent;s death, he ran right into the arms of the FO. What he had helped me escape. He knew all about them when he went to them.” Rey snorted and Karrade shrugged. “That’s all you get from me. Until you give me guarantees.” Rey privately thought that coming back to his home was a bad idea if he was trying to escape the FO but wondered if this is where he felt closer to his brother. Her heart twinged in sympathy and she clutched her bleeding elbow closer. She couldn’t forget who she was dealing with.

“She’s just a trainee,” Chewie butted in. “Han and I can take care of you.”

“Han can’t even take care of himself. He’s up in a hospital, split open by his own son. Ben Solo is dead now. Kylo Ren isn’t exactly someone I can trust. Nor should anyone.”  Rey looked over at Chewie, weighing Karrade’s words. She thought about Resdox and his crudeness, the sting of his efforts on her cheek. She thought about Kylo’s coiled stillness and how much it differed from the easy going nature they knew before.

“Ben Solo really is dead,” she said softly and Chewie let out a soft keening sound.

“We need to go,” Karrade insisted. “If you’re here, the FO isn’t far behind. Make a decision now. Call your boss. Promise me.” Rey looked at Chewie, whose face had gone blank. He met her gaze and nodded imperceptibly.  She pulled out her phone and saw a text from Leia. Without thinking, she dialed Poe’s number. Karrade relaxed, lowering his gun as she pressed send.

And then it all went to hell.

She heard a shattering of glass behind her and a bottle breathing fire rolled near the couch. Chewie picked her up and tossed her as flames began licking up the curtain. Rey landed with a loud crunch on an end table that toppled over. She screamed as she rolled over hard on her elbow just as the bottle exploded, blinding her with bright light before a wave of heat rushed over her. Heat poured into her, searing her skin, as she blindly flung herself away from the flames rolling along the ceiling.

She continued to roll across the carpet until she ended up in the slightly clearer hallway. Flames ran along the ceiling and clung to her with a slightly greasy quality. Coughing, she struggled to her knees and crawled toward the door. She flung it open and heaved in great gasps of air as smoke billowed out around her. Rey fell to the ground as she tried to stumble out of the building, her chest a tight ache, her skin tight and pulsing.

Rey clambered to her feet and twisted around as she heard an explosion. Fire burst through the roof and black smoke poured into the sky. She fell backward, shielding her eyes from the sun, aware that she could hear kids exclaiming behind her.

Remembering her training, she fumbled for her phone, dialing the sheriff’s line and rapidly giving information. Each breath was raw, nails scoring the insides of lungs, and her dazed brain told her that it was the accelerant. She attempted to brave the fire to rescue Chewie, but her skin burned as she neared the doorway, flames rushing out with a whoosh.

Rey stumbled back and heard  fire trucks screaming down the lane.  She turned around and held her hands up, ordering the gawkers to back away from the house. She desperately wondered how Chewie and Karrade were. She scanned the crowd to see if they had broken out.

It was in that moment that she noticed a slim, pale man with a shock of red hair leaning against an old oak tree. He was watching the whole scene dispassionately. He caught her looking and smirked. Her gaze narrowed on him, instinct telling her that he was important. She began to cut through the crowd, brushing past tightly clustered students and teachers, as she aimed for him.

He turned and began to move through the parking lot and she picked up the pace, ignoring the burning in her lungs as she sped after him. He darted between two SUVs at the edge of the lot and Rey raced toward them.

She took the turn between them when a fist rammed into her face. Rey flailed and fell backward, landing hard on her bleeding elbow. She shrieked once when the red head kicked her hard in the stomach. She curled around her belly as he knelt to one knee next to her and pulled out a black handle, flicking up the thin, deadly stiletto blade.

“Stay out of this,” he hissed. “Leave the FBI now.” Rey stared at him, memorizing his pale green eyes, his thin red lips, and snarled. He jabbed down at her and she jerked, the blade piercing her shoulder. At that moment, she grabbed the loose gravel on the lot and tossed it into his eyes.

The redhead howled and Rey scrambled backwards, kicking out with her legs to connect with his shin. He jumped up and swiped at her with the knife. She punted and knocked his wrist away before she clutched the bumper of the SUV and leveraged herself to a crouch. The redhead plunged downward with the knife and with a yell, she flung herself at his midsection, tackling him to the ground, one bloodied hand holding his knife away from her.

Rey banged his hand on the ground and still, he hung onto the knife. With a snarl, he snapped his teeth close to her cheek. She jerked back and he rammed his knee into her groin. Rey cried out as he tossed her over and reeled away from her.

“Stay away!” he hissed one last time before he clambered up and ran off toward a black SUV. He jumped into the car and took off at a punishing speed as Rey fumbled for her phone to snap a picture of the car.

She struggled to her feet and teetered on the edge of collapse for a moment before sighing and slumping against the nearest car. She looked over to see the fire trucks spraying water and foam onto the fire and a body being carried out of the building. Sucking in air through her teeth as Rey limped toward the front, she keenly felt the sharp prickles along her elbow and deep aches in her chest and stomach and worried deeply about that body. She located a sheriff’s deputy  and handed him her ID and her version of events.

They whisked her away to the nearest hospital where they cleaned her up and left her on a bed to wait for her ride. She asked questions insistently about Chewie and Karrade.

“Chewie is in the ICU. The other man didn’t make it,” the nurse informed her grimly before cutting off the tape bandaging Rey’s arm. Rey figured she was feeling something like shock. She couldn’t quite seem to process everything.

She knew her card would be stripped from her and that she might be recycled. She could lose the last five months of her life, all because of this stupid obsession. She sat and she brooded and she hated every minute of it. And the lives she took with it. Han in another ICU and now Chewie.

After an hour of solitude, her phone rang, startling her from a light doze. Seeing Finn’s name flash across the scene triggered her to seize up, adrenaline coursing down to tingle in her fingertips. Inhaling deeply, Rey flipped the phone on.

“Hey Finn,” she greeted wobbly.

“Kenobi,” he began, his voice hard as steel. Rey tried not to flinch. “Poe and I treated you with confidence and gave you a lot of freedom for a trainee. And in one day, you disobeyed yet another direct order from me, you got an inmate killed, and a landmark blown up. Not to mention the death of a civilian and potentially another if Bacca doesn’t make it out of the ICU.”

“I can explain--”

“You can and you will. We’re sending someone to get you. Then, after you’re briefed on campus, we’ll decide what happens to you.” Rey gulped, wondering if he meant expulsion or recycling. Recycling was a hard sentence but not as bad as a toss. She’d go back onto a waitlist until another class opened up,moved over to a field office to push papers and answer bogus calls.

She just didn’t know if her ego could handle it. She didn’t know if she preferred it to finding another career path.

If one was open to her after this.

“Sir--”

Finn chuckled. “And now it’s back to sir. Rey, seriously. You’re in hot water, kid. You messed up big time. And not even the Senator’s little garden party this weekend can help you.” Rey hung her head and bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry. She would not let this stop her. She heard Finn sigh softly through the phone. “Look we’ll talk when you get here. Don’t go anywhere.Wait for your ride.” Sniffling slightly, Rey confirmed and hung up, letting her head fall back onto the pillows.

Joining the FBI had always been a dream of hers.To save people’s lives, to make an impact in the world, to stop the corruption like her parents did. That’s all she wanted. And now, because she couldn’t keep her legs closed or her mouth shut, she was going to get tossed out and may not be let in again. She couldn’t help but curse herself for her stupidity and then curse herself more for being so harsh.

It was less than twenty minutes later when two brutish looking men arrived. They were tall and broad shouldered with their blonde hair in military style cuts.

“We’re here to take you back to class,” one said, offering her his badge for cursory inspection. Nodding softly, Rey collected her items and completed her check out procedures. They had a standard issued white Ford Escape SUV that they bundled her in. Rey watched the scenery in western Virginia fly by as they started down a solitary single lane country highway. She frowned slightly.

“Wouldn’t the freeway be faster?,” she asked. At that moment her phone rang and she pulled it out.

“Kenobi.”

“Rey it’s Poe. Just want to let you know--Kylo Ren broke out of prison.”

“What do you mean broke out? It’s a maximum security facility.”

“Yeah for a mental hospital,” Poe snapped. “There apparently have been blackouts the past week. Today the generator also failed when a transformer blew. We think he’s been planning this. Anyways, lights came back on and he was gone.  We’ve got an eight mile radius search going. Can’t have gone far. But you, you’ll be under surveillance. Especially once the men get there.” Rey blinked and tried to school her features.

“Repeat that last part.”

The passenger swung around and pointed a Glock handgun at her.

“Act normal,” he said in a perfectly calm voice. Rey bit her lip to stop herself from baring her teeth at him. Her FBI training warred with her instincts to fight. She offered a threadbare smile and told Poe she was waiting and hung up. The passenger smirked.

“We told you to leave the FBI, Kenobi. But you didn’t. And now you’ve cost us Kylo Ren.” Rey blanched and not just because it was another gun pointed at her today.

“So you didn’t arrange the escape?” she asked curiously. She had automatically assumed that the FO had sprung him.

“Not like it matters to you,” he replied coolly and pulled back on the safety. In that moment, everything seemed to slow down and appear graceful despite the collision of steel and glass and asphalt, despite the explosions of scarlet and grey that splattered her face as the world tumbled around and came to a crashing halt on the shoulder of the road.

Rey struggled against the seat belt cinched tight across her chest and cutting into her throat. She felt cotton mouthed and woolly headed, a dull roaring behind her temple. The two drivers were slumped over, coated in crimson. Brains leaked out of the passenger’s skull and Rey couldn’t feel sorry. He had tried to kill her. She tried to piece together what happened, how the car ended upside down on the side of the road when a motorcycle cut to a stop next to the shattered. A pair of boots appeared and tapped the glass. It fell on the ceiling with a crunch and Rey flinched as glass needled her face. A moment later, he hunched down to look at her.

“Good, you’re alive,” Kylo Ren said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Tumblr at [HausCrashburn](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hauscrashburn).


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments and kudos. Just a note: this work is almost completed so I'm just posting slowly, giving myself time to review and to make sure I've crossed all my ts and dotted all my Is. (Probably not but I'm trying!). I will update during the weekends. 
> 
> Big thanks to Sansacat for keeping me sane and checking my flow. I've got a friend who worked in forensics and another who works in corporate accounting and another who is a nurse who've been helping so many thanks to them. Even if it means I can't do some things that I want to do (stupid anti rejection meds grrr arrrgh). 
> 
> Stolen Thomas Harris lines in the end section and yeah I had to bring in team sassy science. Love them so hard (I'm pretty sure Jess Pava is a mix of Beverly Katz and fanon Jess).

Rey gaped at Kylo as he crawled over the broken glass toward her and pulled out a deadly looking serrated blade. Rey refused to shrink away and glared defiantly at him.

“Couldn’t let the First Order do it, could you?” she snapped.

Kylo smirked: “Don’t be so dramatic.” He sliced the belt restraining her and she flopped over, groaning as glass bit into her palms and knees. Her legs smacked Kylo in the shoulders and he wrapped a strong arm around them, dragging her out of the car as she fought against him, nails and fists scrabbling for a solid hit. He merely grunted and jerked back once she was out of the toppled SUV.

Rey crab walked backwards away from him, panic ratcheting up as he loomed over her. Kylo shot her an amused glance and then casually squatted again, reaching in to search for the agents’ guns. Seizing the moment, Rey scrambled to her feet and began running, veering off the road to dive deep into the forest. She heard Kylo shout and his feet slapping the ground heavily behind her. Her chest ached and her body throbbed painfully as she stumbled up the small hills, feet catching in depressions in the soil, branches scratching her cheeks. Kylo hollered her name; he was so close she swore she could feel the heat of his breath on the back of her neck.

She tripped as she scrabbled up a root strewn hillside and pitched forward, hands digging in the mud to help her up. He was upon her then, his solid weight pressing her into the soft soil, and she twisted underneath him, pulling her knees to her chest. She thrust him backward and he skid down the hill. She crawled backwards, mired by the damp dirt and she wrapped her arm around a root jutting out of the ground. Kylo lunged toward her and she kicked out, narrowly missing his shin. He leapt on top of her, pinning her under his heavy weight, his thick hand grabbing her wrist and twisting it painfully behind her back, thumb digging into her flesh.

Rey yelped and struggled underneath him, feet flailing, and he leaned over her, laying his arm across her neck. She stilled and met his calm, assessing gaze. Tears prickled her eyes and she looked away, panting heavily.

“Stop running,” he growled.

“Let me go!”

“To what end? To hike back to campus? The FO is already on its way. ”

“I would say it’s already here,” she grit out and Kylo chuckled humorlessly.

“I’m not your enemy, Rey.” He eased the pressure on her chest and she took in his mud smeared face, a dark bruise under his jaw that was not there the last time she saw him.

“Last time you were out of a cage, you tried to kill me,” she fired back at him.

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it in the hotel room. Or the hallway. You are not my enemy.”

“Says the man who beat the shit out of me,” Rey snarled and Kylo had the gall to look affronted.

“You tried to shoot me and stab me! And I would hardly call what I did beating you.”

“You killed your father!”

“I did not. Last I heard he was still alive.” There was a glint of uncertainty in his eyes and Rey refrained from confirming Han’s condition. “I want to work with you, not against you. I don’t have any animosity toward you.”

“I put you in prison,” Rey pointed out.

“Pfft, I wouldn’t be there if I hadn’t wanted to be,” Kylo insisted. He rolled to the side of her, hip resting on the mud and let go of  her wrist. She cradled it to her chest, taking in the blood and mud mingling on her pants, her shirt sticking to her back. Pain rolled through her in waves and exhaustion was threatening to set in.

“I’ve got some pain relievers on the bike,” Kylo was saying. “You need to come with me, Rey. I’m your only hope.” Rey glared defiantly at him even as her mind whispered it was the truth. If the FO was on its way, they would certainly finish the job, combing through the forest until they found her. And she doubted her safety back at Quantico.

Kylo offered her his hand. She met his flat black gaze and remembered the opening lines from his guest lecture in hostage techniques. “You want them to see you as someone who sees them, who has the potential to understand them. Gain their trust first. Be calm, be patient, and ask open ended questions. Don’t make assumptions.”

She grimaced and held his gaze with her own.

“Are you going to hurt me?,” she asked, holding back the tremor in her voice. Kylo gave her a pitying look.

“I’ve no use for damaged goods.” Scraping her teeth along her bottom lip, Rey lifted up her good arm. Kylo grasped it and hauled her up, wrapping an arm around her waist. She flinched and he stilled next to her, before sweeping down and scooping her up.

“It’s faster this way,” he promised. He hurried through the forest and deposited her near the bike. Rey could hear sirens in the distance and Kylo swore. He flipped open the seat and pulled out a first aid kit and a bottle of water. Rey downed the aspirin gratefully and Kylo handed her an extra jacket that hung on her frame, gloves, and a helmet.

He then returned to the SUV and picked up the forgotten glocks. The driver let out a groan and began twitching in his seat. Kylo shot both of the agents precisely in the forehead before sliding the magazine out of each gun and tossing them in the motorcycle’s storage. He helped Rey onto the bike and she couldn’t help but notice how careful he was being of her. Her mind raced at what he could possibly want, to what end this rescue served.

He took a seat in front of her, the bike dipping with his weight,  and Rey examined the wreck on the side of the road. The SUV was upside down, oil dampening the grass, blown tires where he had shot them out to send the car on its tumble, and bullet holes in the windshield.

“Were you waiting for us?” she asked without thinking. Kylo kick started the bike and pumped the throttle.

“Hang on,” Kylo commanded bluntly and gunned the bike onto the highway. Rey yelped and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, loathing the very way she leaned into him, the buzzing of the engine lulling her into a tranquil state as she rested her head on his shoulder.  

 

They entered West Virginia and followed curvy roads deeper into the woods. It was dusk by the time that they pulled off onto a small gravel road, Kylo cutting the speed as they rolled over a few hills and down to a cabin.

“What’s this place?” Rey queried as Kylo headed toward the front door. It was tidy and rustic looking, all logs and gleaming windows with floral curtains nestled in a copse of old birch and walnut trees.

“A short stay,” Kylo replied and walked in and began flipping on the lights. It looked bright and cozy in the chilly greying evening light, Rey thought, as fog began to curl its way through the trees. A boat at sea, a safe haven in the storm. She shivered, her day of injuries catching up with her as she hobbled toward the entrance. She was caked in mud and blood, limbs protesting each time she moved.

She hesitated in the doorway as Kylo walked toward her, a pile of fabric in his hands.

“Here are some old sweats to wear while I wash your clothes,” he said. “There’s a shower with a big bath here. You can rest, soak some, and I’ll scrounge up some bandages. I think there is a first aid kit under bathroom sink.” Rey stared at him, agog. She was not expecting this. Kylo looked up as he realized she wasn’t entering and sighed impatiently.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Excuse me, but there’s not exactly a history of trust between us,” she snapped.

“What do you want some sort of promise?”

“Yes,” she hissed and Kylo snorted.  He ran an assessing gaze over her and frowned, disappointment flitting over his features.

“You already know what needs to be done, Rey. You’ve already done it. Stop acting so innocent.”

“I’m wounded and worn out! I’m cut up and bleeding everywhere!” she cried, hearing the excuse and knowing he would see it as such. She refused to recognize the words he was saying, words that he said to hear that dreadful night. Kylo huffed and put his hands on his hips.

“Look, what do you want me to do? Swear on my mother?”

Rey waited a beat and narrowed her eyes. “No. Your grandfather. Darth Vader.” If Kylo was astonished that she knew that fact, he did not show it.

“He’s dead. There’s not much to swear on,” Kylo muttered as his gaze fell. “Rey please...just trust me.” There was a quiet plea in his voice as his eyes slowly returned to hers. There was no dishonesty in those open features, Rey thought. Grimacing, she agreed.

Exhaling loudly, she toed off her shoes and strode in, gathering the old clothes to her chest and slipped into the bathroom, fumbling for a lock.

Of course there wasn’t one.

The bathroom was a largish, modern affair with a long gleaming square counter, a glass shower stall, and a sunken tub. She looked under the sink and found a large and fully equipped first aid kit. As she rummaged through it, Kylo knocked on the door. Blowing out her breath in an irritated huff, Rey wrenched open the door.

“What do you want?” she bit out. He smiled winsomely and nodded toward her cut up hands.

“This is a two person job,” he suggested and she debated it for about two seconds. She was swaying on her feet, she knew, and this would go faster. She stepped back and he entered, his large frame eating up the space in the room. She edged backward, gripping the edge of the counter as the smell of his cologne filled the room. It evoked too many memories and she closed her eyes.

Kylo began running water in the sink, allowing it to fill before he held out his hand to her. She warily placed hers in his, letting him dip into the warm water. She sucked in her breath as sharp stings needled her hands. He tenderly cleaned off the the mud and broken skin before grabbing the tweezers and quickly plucking out the glass. Crimson curled in the rippling water as he carefully examined her hand. Rey winced more than a few times, adrenaline rushing with each pinch of the tweezers before flooding out, leaving her an exhausted and empty husk.

“Do you think it would have happened?” she asked hoarsely as he ran his calloused thumb over her knuckles, peering into the water to see if he had collected all of the glass.

“I can’t say I did,” he admitted. Rey snorted and shook her head slowly, as if moving through water.

“No, not that. Us. You and me. You with your office flirtation.”

“You with that skirt in the hotel room,” he challenged and she shrugged. He let go of her hands and began wiping his own on a towel. She walked over and sat on the tub ledge, yanking on the knobs to fill the tub.

“Would it have?” she asked forlornly, not sure if she wanted a confirmation. Kylo crouched before her, taking in her long face and her eyelids drooping.

“I think so,” he replied, voice thick with regret. “But you made a choice as much as I did. Much as you did in that hotel room.”

“That was a set up and you know it,” she slurred and Kylo hummed.

“Maybe,” he said amiably as he rose. “But all I can do is create conditions, Rey.”

“Wind them up and see what happens,” she snarled and Kylo laughed as he exited the room. Growling under her breath, Rey struggled to strip and tossed the clothes in the hall. She thought briefly that she should care that he was seeing her underwear but rolled her eyes and stepped into the warm tub.

She sighed peacefully and rested her head on the pillowed ledge, allowing herself to float in the warm lapping water. She lingered drowsily, muscles easing in the heat, and let her mind wander. For a few moments, she was free of pain and fear, two sensations that held her the moment the bomb exploded at Gent plantation and she lost sight of Chewie.

The old thought rose again unbidden and she didn’t have the energy to banish it.

Everything she touched was ruined.

If she had only behaved as a child, then her father wouldn’t have sped toward the opera house. If he hadn’t been speeding, he would have seen the car. If he had seen the car, then he and her mother wouldn’t have died, and she wouldn’t have woken up to a somber police officer explaining her future to her. Perhaps, instead of this confusing, overwhelming, strangely intoxicating moment she found herself in, she’d be at a bar with friends, dancing in a flirty little dress.

Or, if she hadn’t gone with Han to confront Kylo, then he would be alive and well, drinking beer and cracking jokes, and not fighting for his life. Chewie wouldn’t be covered in burn tissue in an ICU. And she would be probably having dinner in the cafeteria with Jess Pava at this very moment.

But she ruined everything. Her curiosity, her need to explore, led to one downfall after another, leaving others dead or dying, and herself miserable.

And to compound it all, if she hadn’t made herself look, really look at that evidence, in an attempt to shine, to find justice, she’d probably be having an affair right now with Ben Solo, and damn it all, if she hated herself for regretting that she was not.

And it seemed as if Ben felt the same way.

Rey blew out her air and sat up straight, water sluicing down her shoulders.

Get it together, she ordered herself. This is the deal you’ve got, don’t wallow. You’ve had five minutes, take stock of what you got and what you need to do and _do it._ Rey continued to cheer herself up and to remind herself of all the good that she had done. She remembered Leia telling her that she provided closure to people in pain and clung to that. She had given hope to families; she had brought justice.

Even if that version of justice had busted out of jail, shot some potential assassins, and threatened her with bodily harm.

Take what you got, she told herself, and make it shine. What was it that Ben had said to her that one night as she was cataloging evidence? Her mind traveled back to the night that she had been sitting at a lab table, the lights low as most of the staff had gone for the evening. Ben had strolled by and deposited a cup of coffee in front of her.

“Oh thank you!” Rey had breathed. Ben cracked a grin and took the stool across from her.

“Price having you do AFIS work?”

“Yes,” she groaned. “Since I have such little forensic experience, Poe signed me up for a cram session with him. That man is mean.” She looked around quickly to make sure no one had heard her little confession.

“Jimmy’s just exacting. It’s because he’s the best.”

“That’s what Zeller said. Before he asked me out,” Rey replied glumly, tapping a few keys to move to the next screen. She placed another slide under the scanner. “This really is enlightening.”

“A lot of cop work is just this. When I was in New York, I walked the beat. It’s talking to people, learning how to talk to people, how to go through the same thing over and over again with fresh eyes. Learning how to be attuned to hearing the slight difference in people’s stories.”

“Wow. I guess going over witness statements thirteen times in a row would never have trained me for that,” Rey shot back teasingly. Ben had the good graces to flush and Rey grinned cheekily. Ben shook his head ruefully and opened up his laptop case.

“Do you mind company? It can get lonely here and looks like Jimmy gave you quite a workload.” Rey glanced over the pile of paperwork that needed to be scanned and cataloged and brightened.She nodded eagerly and Ben booted up his laptop, the tips of his fingers accidentally brushing her knuckles. She stiffened, shyly meeting his eyes over his monitor. He blushed again but let his fingers rest on hers. They warmed her hands and he turned her hand over, running a long finger down her palm. She tried not to shiver and watched hunger bleed into his eyes.

“I’ve got to stay focused,” she said softly. The left side of Ben’s mouth quirked up in a brief smile and he left go. He studied her for a moment, gaze quiet and assessing.

“The most stable elements appear in the middle of the periodic table, roughly between iron and silver. I think that’s appropriate for you, Rey.” It was Rey’s turn to blush,glowing underneath his heated and direct gaze.

Sitting up in the tub, Rey repeated the words to herself: “Between iron and silver.” She rolled her shoulders and snatched the soap off its dish, scrubbing her skin, mapping out the bruises, bronzed skin mottled purple and blue, and her elbow a mess of shallow cuts. Time to show that strength, she thought as she scrubbed her hair. This practical side often came off as cold, she knew, but she didn’t know any other way to go forward.

Wallowing for too long a period was foreign to her.

All she had to go was up.

And now I’m a fugitive, she thought ruefully, as she ran a comb through her hair. She had to see this to its end, collect all the evidence, and create the best possible case for the FBI. See this as an undercover job, she told herself, as she slipped on the sweats, consisting of an old FBI sweatshirt that was too big for her and pants that swallowed her whole. Searching through a drawer, she found some safety pins and cuffed the legs up before rolling the arms of the sweatshirt as much as she could. Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door and strode into the cabin.

Rey let herself really look at it this time. It was modern despite the rustic exterior. A bedroom was off to her right and she could hear the dryer tumbling behind her. An old leather couch and a tv were off to the corner and to her left, Kylo was standing at a stove, clad only in a pair of low slung jeans, and stirring something in a pot.

“What’s that?”

“Spaghetti with mushroom sauce. There’s some frozen garlic bread in the freezer but I don’t know how that’ll turn out since I haven’t been here in a few months,” Kylo said wrinkling his nose.

“So this is your place?”

“No, it’s actually my parents,” Kylo admitted, his cheeks pinking.

“I didn’t imagine the fancy Organa Solo coming out to the woods and eating canned food,” she sniped. Kylo snorted and turned to throw a disbelieving look over his shoulder.

“You’ve met my dad haven’t you? He used to take us out in his old camper for weekends in the country. Lots of canned food. This was their compromise as they got older. Before the separation.” Rey snorted and Kylo jerked a thumb toward the cupboards. “Hunt for something green. Man can’t live off of spaghetti and garlic bread alone.”

“I can,” Rey offered as she hopped off the stool and began hunting through what cans were there. Chickpeas, corn, black beans, beets (here she wrinkled nose, too many memories of boarding school meals), and peas. She brought down the can of peas and began hunting for an opener, her hip bumping his.

Kylo grabbed her, whirling her around, and pressing her against the counter.  Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw the same look on his face as the night in the hotel. Desire and possessiveness warring for dominance in his hardened brown eyes.

“It could’ve been like this, Rey,” he said huskily. She pushed him away and sidled to the side.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, incredulous. Kylo loomed over her, broad shouldered and large, his lush mouth drawn into a pout.

“I’m reminding you of what we both had.”

“It’s gone now,” she scathingly replied. “Whatever we once had died.” Kylo cocked a brow and moved toward her, caging her against the fridge with his arms. Her heart raced and she could smell his cologne and soap mingling with sweat and she closed her eyes. She missed the heat of his body next to hers.

But this was not Ben Solo.

Rey wrenched herself away, shoving past him and ducking under his arms, moving back toward the stove.

“You’re not the man I cared about,” she grit out. Kylo looked wounded, his brown eyes widening as he stalked toward her.

“I’m the same man. But you see me now. You’ve always been the one who can really see me.”

“Do you think you’re going to change me?” she snarled. “Make me like you? Is this why we’re having a homey little dinner?” Kylo stilled, coiled and ready. Her heart fluttered as she waited for his answer, eyes roving through the room to find a weapon if need be.

“No,” he finally said. “I have no need of an acolyte. I need a partner.” Rey wanted to sneer but she waited for him to finish. He blinked at her before turning around and returning to the pasta, lifting the pot off the burner and pouring the pasta into a strainer, steam billowing around him.

“A partner for what?” she asked exasperatedly, folding her arms across her chest.

“I need assurances before I can truly bring you in.”

“And if I disagree, then what?”

“Then I find you someplace safe and leave you there to find your way back. Either the First Order finds you or the FBI does.”

“Those are not choices,” Rey bitterly pointed out. Kylo slammed the pot back on the stove, turning around to glare at her.

“Are they not? You may die with me, Rey, but it will be for something noble, I assure you, something meaningful. In the other case, you go back to your lonely apartment in New York, assuming you make it there alive. There is a possibility that you graduate from Quantico, but we both know that’s a slim chance.” He approached her, foot in front of foot, moving stealthily, a predator's grace in every line.

“You ditched your OPR meeting. You helped blow up a state monument,” he tsked. “None of this looks good on your record.”

“How do you know about that” she spluttered.

“If you think that the FO didn’t have ways to get me information, then you’re even more naive than I thought.” His words echoed Karrade’s and drew a painful reminder of the conversation she overheard earlier in the morning between Thanisson and Mitaka. Her future was too uncertain, she thought bleakly, and she reminded herself that playing along was the only way to survive.

Kylo had stopped in front of her, barely a foot between them. The sandalwood of his cologne nearly overwhelmed her, evoking bright memories of them laughing together over pizza in his office. She had been sitting in his office chair, slightly drunk on the sour local beer that he swore was the best ever produced. He was perched on his desk, watching her twirl around in the chair, his hand gripping her thigh to get her to stop. The mint of his breath, mingling with the yeasty beer, ghosted along her cheek. His hand was hot and weighty and it seemed to swallow her thigh, as he slid it up to brush his finger along the inner seam of her slacks.

Rey had watched with baited breath, searching his face, mouth parted slightly as he inched his hand up. Their eyes locked and her stomach clenched tightly. This was it, she had thought. This is when he will kiss me. She glanced quickly toward the door and he followed it, reluctantly releasing her.

“Whaaaa, um, excuse me, sir,” she had breathily got out, turning away from him.

“I, uh, I,” Ben sputtered, running his hand through his long black hair.

“You don’t trust yourself?” she inquired, fingers trembling as she tried to hold her pen.

“No, I just,” he smiled winsomely. “I’m just concerned. What I’m trying to exhibit are leadership skills.”

Rey smiled encouragingly. “Timing is the hardest thing to find.”

“Well,” Ben had grinned, “Not as hard as Kylo Ren.”

“When I find him, I’ll be sure to let him know that,” Rey shot back cheekily, bending her head over her work.

Rey closed her eyes as the memory faded, inhaling the creamy wood scent, his breath hot on her cheek, the memory fresh in her mind. She felt swallowed by them whenever she was around him, no effective barriers in her mind to protect her from relieving those brief moments. She felt Kylo lean forward, sensed his lips hovering over hers.

“This is not exactly leadership skills,” she murmured.

“I’m not a leader here, just a more knowledgeable partner,” Kylo riposted dryly. Rey could hear him lick his lips, could almost feel the drag of his tongue against his skin. Her body tightened at the memory of his tongue sweeping along her bottom lip, his hand cradling her head as he entreated entrance into her mouth. Her lashes fluttered against her cheek and she could head him shuffle closer, the tips of his fingers skating up her arm.

“Is that so?” she hoarsely whispered.

“I could be, if you wanted me.” She opened her eyes to see him mere inches from her face. Inhaling deeply, she stepped back.

“I don’t think our timing is quite right here either,” she informed him somewhat shakily. Kylo’s eyes darkened, a scorching gaze that seared her as his gaze traveled up her body. He gave her a quirky smile.

“A becoming look, my clothes on you.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“I would prefer to see you out of them but I’ll take what I can get.”

“I’m not interested,” she replied blandly and Kylo chuckled. Rey looked away and walked back to the kitchen dumping the boiling sauce onto the damp noodles. She concentrated on stirring the two together and ladling them into bowls, even as she was conscious of Kylo watching her every move. Rey cleared her throat as she turned and placed a bowl in front of him.

Kylo caught her wrists, tugging her forward.

“Now that I’ve got you, I can’t have you,” he ruminated. He reached up and ran his thumb along her bottom lip, pulling it at it faintly. Rey huffed and gently moved her head way.

“I don’t know if you had me.”

“The little escapade in 102 tells differently.”

She twirled pasta on her fork and licked her lips, all too aware of the thudding of her heart.

“Can you tell me what we are doing? Why you broke out?”

“Easy. We’re going to take down the First Order. By taking out Hux, Phasma, and Snoke.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clarice has a wonderful line in Silence about how Jimmy Price is the best but kind of an ass as internal dialogue. Its such a good line and it helps the somber scene in which she is set at that moment. 
> 
> Between iron and silver is from Hannibal, the book. Hannibal wrote it in a letter to Clarice. It was said to Chiyoh in the TV show and was also said to Alana Bloom which they cut but I think it would have worked. 
> 
> The idea of a house all lit up in the darkness, a boat in the sea, is from the author's prologue of Red Dragon and was spoken by Will Graham in S1 of Hannibal.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR MENTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to all of my kind readers. Your comments and kudos keep me going when I'm worried about my rabbit hole we've slid down into. And by we, I mean me. 
> 
> A special thanks to Sansacat who betas this stuff, makes awesome aesthetics, and tries to gently guide me down the correct road where there are no run on sentences and the rules of parallelism are followed.

Rey stared at Kylo in astonishment. She cleared her throat a few times as she fumbled for the right words.

“Why would you want to take down the First Order?” she exclaimed. Kylo shrugged.

“Why wouldn’t I?,” he asked, pointing his fork at her. His lips edged upwards as he changed the subject: “Do you know how you caught me, Rey? You never did tell me. I wonder if your reluctance is because the answer is right there and you refuse to look.” Rey blinked several times.

“What? I found you by looking at the evidence. Evidence that connected you to Kylo Ren murders and the FO. And when we went to talk to you, you proclaimed yourself Kylo Ren to the world.”

“Hmmmm, yes, my coming out party. You really set the stage for that,” Kylo ruminated. “I didn’t really imagine there would be quite so much blood.  I did suspect Han was onto something but I had a different plan for him.”

“One that didn’t involve him struggling for his life in an ICU?!”

“Ah ha! So he is alive!” Kylo pounced on the information, eyes greedy with delight. Rey gripped his hands and stared into his face.

“Are you going to kill him? Please don’t.”

“Han Solo. The father you wish you would have had. Didn’t like your own?”

“You leave my parents out of it!” Kylo tipped his head and extracted his hands from her.

“Quid pro quo, Rey. Since you won’t tell me how you think caught me, there must be an even exchange of information going forward.”

“I thought we were going to be partners,” she said bitterly, already too aware of the ashy taste in her mouth. Kylo snorted.

“You never formally agreed.”

Rey swallowed hard, stepping away from Kylo, until her back hit the fridge. She folded her arms across her chest.

“What do you want?”

Kylo tipped his head and seemed to consider the question. “You know what I want. What I’ve always wanted.” He rose from his chair, leaning over the kitchen island, feline grace in every line of his body. She could feel his eagerness to pounce and anticipation coursed through her, every nerve alive.

“Look, how I caught you can be explained by the--”

“Oh not that old thing. You keep repeating the same thing. Well, I know how you got onto the real me,” Kylo teased, his voice low and smooth. Rey glared at him.

“Then why ask?!”

“Because you think evidence is how you caught me. Do you even know how you caught me, Rey?” She turned away, shoulders hunched down, gripping the counter tightly. “You’re just like me, Rey. We’re just alike. Do you understand?” He was sinister now, stalking her, and she sidled away from the fridge. She had never felt more like prey until this moment. Not even when she suspected that she was in the arms of a serial killer as he drew such sweet pleasure from her that even her wildest fantasies couldn’t dream of. Not even when he was crouched in his father’s blood, his eyes as black as night, with his knife swinging toward her. But now, now he scented her blood and would consume her.

There would be nothing left after this.

Rey shuddered and ripped a knife from the butcher block, whirling around to aim it at his face. Kylo snorted.

“A glasgow grin? You’re more and more like me.” He gestured toward the knife gleaming in the low lights. “See?”

“I’m nothing like you,” she seethed and Kylo chuckled.

“Don’t deny it. We could have a wonderful time.”

“I don’t want a wonderful time with you,” she snarled. “I thought we were going to be partners.”

“But what kind of partners, darling?” he drawled, slouching against the counter. She wasn’t fooled. He reminded her of a panther she saw in a zoo once, curled along a branch, its jade green eyes tracking every movement.

“We could pick up where we left off. I have no qualms about that,” he slithered, sending her a leering grin. She bared her teeth at him, a low feral growl emitting from her throat and he threw his head back to laugh raucously.

“I’ll go with you. I’ll help stop the First Order but that’s it,” she said desperately. Desperate, even though she longed to bring an end to them. Even as a small part of her gleefully anticipated the moment her name would be in the headlines, a medal pinned to her chest. No more ramen nights and broken car. A glorious future waiting for her.

At that moment, Kylo sprang, grabbing the wrist with the knife, thumbnail digging painfully into her skin. “That’s no fun,” he replied. Rey curled herself into him just like her training taught her and ducked down, throwing him over her shoulder. But Kylo recognized the move and twisted as he landed, jamming his fist into her shoulder and wrenching it forward. She cried out, turning to rest the blade against his neck.

“If you’re gonna do it, do it. If you think dragging my body to the FBI offers you something, then take it, Kenobi. It’s all yours. You’ve already got a piece of me anyways.” Rey stared at him, shocked, and gripped the knife tighter. It scratched along Kylo’s skin, a bead of blood rising, stilling, almost black in the dimness of the room, before gliding down the column of his throat.

She trembled as she thought about it but the darkness wouldn’t rise in her. She couldn’t stand to see the life go out of those eyes. With a yell, full of disgust at herself, she yanked her hand out of his grip, and the knife fell to the floor with a loud clatter. Kylo let her go and she fell backward against the island. Kylo reached up and dabbed at the blood on his neck.

“Eat up. We’ll be on the road soon,” he said calmly and Rey pressed her palms into her eyes. Kylo’s hand settled on her shoulder and he tried turning her to face him. She resisted until he grasped both shoulders and twisted her around. “You made the right decision. You’re safe with me. We’re partners now.”

“Until it’s more convenient otherwise,” she spat. Kylo blinked down at her.

“I don’t think I’ll be letting go until I finally get what I want,” he replied obliquely. She gaped at him as he raked his gaze over her form and then walked out of the kitchen. She spluttered meaninglessly as he closed the bathroom door behind him. Blowing out her air, Rey slouched over to the leather couch and collapsed on to the cushions. She could hear the shower running and allowed her head to fall backward. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and stared at the chipped paint on her toenails. She let her sense of self began to fall away as she began to name the disparate pieces of the mystery that she had been solving for weeks now.

She could see the two mysteries jutting up against one another, see the vein of similarity that bound them together.  There was the mystery of Kylo Ren, coupled now with his need to destroy the First Order.  Whoever Kylo Ren was depended on what Ben Solo was trying to be. And somehow, her past was entangled in it. Karrade’s taunting was fresh in her mind and she pushed aside the painful memories of her parents. She could not allow herself to consider that their deaths were arranged by the First Order. She couldn’t face it just now. Too many hard truths in such a short amount of time. It also raised the question as to how she arrived at the FBI, her own motivations, and, faced with her own ambitions and need for an exacting justice, she couldn’t point her perceptive gaze inward anymore.

She knew Kylo would offer up his own throughout their time together, however that would look. Rey remembered the sheet of paper he handed her as she went out with Poe to interview the relatives of the latest Kylo Ren murder. In big black font he had written his favorite saying: Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man you seek?

Rey had listened to the relatives wail, insist that their husband or son or friend was a good man. She thought about the answers always given during profiling discussions about Kylo Ren: When he killed, he left gorgeously torturous totems made of his victims, something that evoked disgust and awe. Rey considered them tableaus of a secret made bare for the world’s judging gaze. Kylo was a murderer who left no evidence which told them he was cunning, exacting, careful. These murders were not a fit of passion. There was never any evidence of rape or sexual trauma. It didn’t mean that Kylo did not find sexual gratification from the murders but lack of evidence and lack of sexual damage would indicate it fulfilled another need. His methodology changed with each kill, not entirely unusual for serial killers.

His pathology was a jagged line twisted by each victim, as if a different man had committed each one.

When the other agents talked about his victims, about how he killed them, Ben would slap his hand down with a sharp: “This is what he does, it’s incidental. What need does he seek to satisfy?” No one would answer and Ben would turn his disappointed gaze to Rey. At first she found it odd that he would seek her out but as he continued to turn to her for her thoughts, she allowed pride to trickle in. He saw something in her, she would tell herself as she swept a little blush across her cheekbones before heading down to the meeting.

Rey never wore blush in class or in training.

Nor did she wear a skirt suit until the night that she and Ben had taken a hotel room as part of a stakeout. There had been something in his gaze the night he told her she would be assigned to him and Poe had positively glowed, assuming it was because she was blossoming under his tutelage. But Rey knew it had more to do with the way Ben’s hand would linger on her shoulder, how he would take a seat next to her and let his knee fall against hers, press a little harder than he should, how he would look at her with a little less interest and a little more hunger than she was used to.

This is what it felt like to be hunted.

And she had surrendered to it that night during the stakeout. She had been eager to allow his hands to roam--wanted them to--his lips as feral as she thought they would be, as he sat her harshly on the dresser, hiking the skirt up to her waist. All the nights of foreplay had come to this, she thought, thinking of their brushing fingers, his solicitous behavior, his lips when he had almost kissed her. Now he ravaged her mouth as if he were starving, as if they were making up for lost time.

She fell into the sensations of his lips against hers, his tongue savagely tasting hers, teeth clacking as they hurriedly pressed their bodies together. His hands ripped her hair out of her bun and threaded his fingers through the strands, kissing a trail of fire down her neck. She knew she should be watching the bank across the way but she couldn’t care as his hand gripped her thigh, his thumb skating across the thin fabric between her legs.

This was not the carefully controlled woman that she had become. She was too caught up in the softness of his hair, the way he mouthed at her breasts through her shirt, that she had almost missed the way he pulled back to look at the clock before the door to 102 slammed open and the bullets flew.

A man stomped in, huge and broad shouldered, his blue eyes glittering in the light through the curtains. Ben flung Rey to the ground and she grappled for her gun. The man aimed his, a silencer pegged to the end, and took careful aim. Three softened pops filled the air as he shot out the windows, destroying all of their surveillance equipment. Ben raced toward him, yelling incoherently. His gun was out, knocked away by the man’s long reach.

“The First Order sends its regards,” the man growled, pressing his gun to Ben’s temple. Ben grappled with him and Rey clicked back the safety, crawling to her knees, her aim weaving as the two men fought one another, the gun precariously swinging around.

Rey saw the opening.

She pulled once, twice, three time, hard jerks, her shoulder aching with each thunderous pulse. The man’s eyes had widened and Ben twisted around, eyes alight with something she couldn’t understand. She was cold, she thought distantly, as the man slumped against the wall, a loud crackling as the blood smeared the floral and ivy wallpaper as he slid to the floor. Everything stood out vividly to her in that moment. The dark blood trickling out of the man’s mouth. The smoke wisping from her gun, Ben rising to his knees triumphantly, a bruise blooming under his eyes, his knuckles torn from his frantic punches. His jacket fluttered from where her bullet had grazed him. There was pride and possessiveness in his heated gaze.

Her gun fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

Ben wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up, his eyes never leaving her face.

“You did so well,” he had murmured, lost in the ringing of her ears. She stared at his lips, reality crashing around her with the crescending of the sirens, rising shouts, a shocked hotel manager stumbling his way in, his dinner spilling out between his lips. Rey winced but Ben’s hand never left her side.

“What did you say?,” she eventually asked as the techs and the cops began to flood the space. Ben held her arms as the tech came up with a bag for her to drop her gun into, another to beckon her to follow. She never heard his answer as Finn rushed in, chatting briefly with another cop as he tossed his raincoat over her. She remembered the sudden comfort of it. She remembered the man’s eyes tracking her as she walked out.

Even if he were dead.

The hearing afterwards had been long and torturous as forensics explained the evidence and Rey accounted again and again what happened. The assailant, Grant Jacobs had been a member of the First Order and probably connected to several unsolved murders in Minnesota. Still, there would be no commendation but no expulsion from campus. Just a warning next time that deadly force was the last resort. That calling for backup should have been her first.

Ben had sat beside her the entire time, fingers linking under the table, and he praised her for saving his life.

As Rey sat on Kylo’s couch, staring at her feet, she finally allowed herself to examine what transpired at that hotel night. Being tossed to the ground and fired at had not frightened her. It was the proud way Ben had looked at her rumpled body with a sense of possessiveness that sent her scurrying away from him. The same look he gave her as he cradled her face, hands coated in Han’s blood, as he wondered aloud what he was to do with her. What need did she satisfy in him, she wondered, because she didn’t think it was the sex alone. The almost sex rather, she amended.

It must have something to do with her parents, she reasoned. Karrade had acted as if it her parents being murdered by the First Order was the only reasonable thing to assume. She rarely did that, thinking back to Finn’s mocking of assume (“make an ass out of you and me, Rey”). How much of his escape had to do with her? What did he learn from her shooting of Grant Jacobs that encouraged him to ask her to join his quest to bring down the FO? He had orchestrated Jacobs entering their room that night but to what end she did not know.

She only knew it wasn’t accident from the way he tossed her to the ground before the door opened. From the pride glowing in his eyes as she took Jacobs down ruthlessly.

The questions pounded through her as Kylo took a too long shower. Rey could see several problems and lurking beneath all of them was the little problem that she still cared for Ben Solo. When she looked at Kylo, she saw Ben. She had to stay focused and remember how to be cold. Her mission was to gather intel on the First Order.

She knew she could wring other useful information from Kylo as being his partner should give her something and she was going to start with her parents. The accident rarely felt real.  Rey longed for the picture of her parents back in her dorm room. Her mom smiling brightly at the camera, her dad with his arm draped around her. And Rey in the middle, chubby hand gripping her dad’s finger. An anchor in this damned slippery world.

And she was willingly going further down.

It would be worth it, she thought.

The bathroom door opened and steam billowed out, followed by Kylo with a towel wrapped precariously around his hips. She ordered herself not to look, turning instead to stare out the window at the dark forest. Kylo smirked.

“Have you decided?,” he asked pointedly.

“I’m in,” she replied evenly.  Kylo nodded as if he hadn’t expected another answer. She pointed her chin at the Tv.

“Does that work?”

“Should,” Kylo said around a mouth of cold spaghetti. Rey grabbed the remote and flicked it on to an image of the BSHCI.

“Renowned serial killer Kylo Ren escaped this afternoon,” the talking head began, voice dripping excitement. “A statewide manhunt is underway for Kylo Ren, otherwise known as--”Rey tuned him out as Kylo’s mug shot flashed on screen. She waited, bracing for her photo but it never came. She shot Kylo a questioning look. He briefly looked over his shoulder as he rummaged through the cupboards.

“They are withholding it,” he explained. “Allows them to weed out fake calls and to determine what really happened to you.” He made a triumphant noise and pulled out a package of oreos.

Rey sighed. “What’s your plan, then? You’re a wanted man. Your picture is all over the damn net and television.”

“Really? Do tell.”

Rey lunged off the couch. “Your sarcasm isn’t appreciated.” Kylo turned to look at her, an oreo half in his mouth. He ran a critical eye over her.

“You look like shit. You need a good night’s sleep.”

“Your concern is noted.”

“I don’t really care for your smart ass mouth, Kenobi. I didn’t tolerate it before and I won’t now,” Kylo said slowly, not even bothering to look at her as he took a seat on a stool at the island and twisted open an oreo. His tongue darted out to sweep slowly over the cream of the cookie and Rey snorted. She imagined that seduction would be part of this partnership but she wasn’t sure to what end. She looked away, arms folded in front of her chest, and she could feel Kylo’s amused glance as a brand on her skin.

“What did happen to you exactly?,” Kylo asked. “I’ve got a precis but now I would like a full report.”  Rey chewed on her bottom lip before launching into a brief summary of her day. She knew Kylo was aware of the explosion at Gent so she glossed over that, completely leaving out her conversation with Karrade, and concluded with the parking lot fight.

“So you met Hux,” he said after a moment.

“The redhead is the general?,” Rey breathed, caution pushed aside as she moved to stand next to Kylo. She grabbed an oreo and took a big bite. Kylo shook his head.

“Savage,” he commented. “I knew you had irritated the FO with turning me in but I didn’t realize how pissed they’d be.”

“Do you need to contact them? When you get out?”

“No it’s against protocol. I’m supposed to meet an agent at a predetermined destination.”

“Is that where we are going?”

“No, I’ve got another place in mind.”

Rey raised one brow and studied Kylo. “So we’re not going to infiltrate the FO?”

“They’d never believe you switched sides,” he answered dismissively. “Besides, I want to eliminate the leadership. The fastest way to do that would be to cut off their money supply.”

“And how are we going to do that?”

“There are several ways and I need to think about it,” Kylo admitted. “But not tonight. Tonight we’ve got to get on the road and get some distance between us and your buddies.” He sneered the last words and Rey knew he meant Poe and Finn. He stood up and she averted her gaze. It would be too easy to let herself admire his body, a body her hands had gotten to know intimately.

“I’m going to dress and then I’m going to need you help to load up the car,” he said as he walked away. Rey went to the dryer and pulled out her clothes, dressing quickly in the bathroom. She leaning out the front door and banging the mud off her shoes when Kylo returned, dumping several bags on the couch.

“What’s that?,” she asked.

“Some clothes and money. We’ll stop at a store for you.”

“You’re a known criminal, Kylo!,” Rey stated, brushing mud off her hands. “You’re gonna get yourself killed and me along with you.”

“You forget. I am a special agent. I know their tricks.” As he spoke, he slipped on a non descript brown jacket often seen on construction workers and a baseball cap that he pulled low over his eyes. “Besides, we’re not going to take the major highways.”

“They always check the smaller state roads too.”

“People are going to be looking for a man traveling alone, not a man and woman. At least not for a while and by then we’ll be far gone.”  He opened up a closet door and pulled out a box. He swiped off the dust and opened it, revealing several wigs. “You can be blonde, redhead, or a really dark brown. Your choice.”  Grumbling, Rey examined the wigs and chose a short auburn bob. Kylo helped her tuck her hair under the wig before he swooped down to plant a feathery kiss on her cheek, remaining a little longer than necessary to subtly inhale her scent. Rey stepped away, shoving her hands deep into her jean pockets and rocking on her heels. Kylo smirked.

“I’m, uh, I’m not interested in that kind of partnership,” she said, staring at the wooden floors polished to a shine. She heard Kylo huff amusedly.

“The hair suits you. We should get going,” he said. He brushed past her on the way to the door and  she silently trailed him, picking up her discarded helmet. Kylo shook his head and she followed him outside to a shed behind the house. Inside was a pristine Ford Escape, several years older, but in good shape. It was a nice even grey that would blend in with traffic and with slightly tinted windows so no one could look too closely at the driver.

“You’ve been planning this for a while,” Rey commented as she slid into the car. Kylo busied himself with driving the car out, getting back out to close the shed, and finish locking up the house. When he exited, he had several bags in his hand that he tossed in the back. He climbed in and handed her a standard issue Glock 22 and a pancake holster.

“You come with me, you come armed,” he said grimly. “There’s extra bullets and magazine you can load. Good for practicing your thumb strength.” Rey set her mouth in a line as Kylo gunned the SUV forward and down the gravel road, flicking on his brights. She watched a deer leap off the road and into the deep forest, her heart with it.

“I keep throwing myself into danger,” she said grimly as she checked the safety and holstered the gun. She would thread it through her belt loops once they got her a belt. A pancake holster would rest snugly against her hips, making it easier to hide with a jacket, but slanted in a way for her to grab the gun easily.

Rey leaned her head against the window, the glass cool against her hot forehead. She was screwed six ways to Sunday and she had a million questions all threatening to burst out. But she tightened her lips, closed her eyes, and fell asleep to the gentle rocking of the car along the winding roads.

* * *

 

The truck bounced along the rutted roads, struts squeaking as the tires hit a particular deep cut in the dirt. The driver followed the winding road deep into the forest, old oak trees crowding together as he neared the entryway. He hit the brakes particularly hard as he saw the guard tower and sniggered at the screams from the back.

He rolled down his window and peered at the guard. They chatted amiably for a few moments as the guard reviewed his papers and ID card and checked it against the system, updated every day. As the driver took back his papers, he saw a flash of lights in his side view mirror. He frowned and looked at the guard.

“I didn’t know that this was an entrance for guests,” he grumbled. The guard looked at the clipboard and then at the driver.

“That isn’t a guest. Mr. Snoke demanded he come here from Baltimore immediately.” The meaning was heavy in his voice and the driver’s eyes widened. The gate opened and he shook his head, saying a prayer for the poor soul, as he continued rumbling down the driveway toward the barns.  Arkanis Farm was a sprawling complex, with several barns and a stable west of the main house. The driver had visited the main house once and had marveled at the large home, all cedar wood and gleaming glass. He would have expected a more staid look from Mr. Snoke but thought perhaps Ms. Phasma had led him elsewhere.

The driver pulled up to the barns, backing up to drop off his shipment, when he saw the little car again. It was a newer Nissan Altima and it bounced roughly along the roads. What surprised the driver even more was that a moment later a golf cart appeared, trundling over the little path from the main house. It was Mr. Snoke and Ms. Phasma from the looks of it.

The driver hurriedly dropped off his cargo, signing the forms and receiving his envelope of cash. He watched the two burly men roll out the cages of women and young men, eyes blank, and faces wan. He swallowed thickly, a shiver running down his back, as the cages disappeared behind the various equipment housed in the barns. A shriek pierced the air before silenced suddenly. Clutching his fat wad of cash, the driver lumbered up into his truck before pulling away, leaving the little reunion behind.

Mitaka shuddered as he saw the golf cart round a hill, Snoke behind the wheel. What was more frightening was Phasma sitting placidly beside him, her face a still lake where he could not see his fate. Swallowing thickly, Mitaka thought about his wife, lying in a hospital bed, machines breathing for her. Cancer had eaten everything away, leaving only a husk of the woman behind. He remembered the pile of bills by the door as he had fought for successful treatment years ago, exhausted with squeezing every penny out. And then, suddenly, Thanisson was at his door, promising relief. The bills were whisked away and his wife was placed in the best medical treatment center in Baltimore.

But he had made his own life worthless in the process.  

Gathering the files Snoke had requested, Mitaka stepped out of the safety of his car, noting with disgust how he was quaking, his fingers trembling against the files.

The golf cart gently rolled to a stop in front of him. Snoke rose, a tall spindly man with spider like fingers and black beady eyes hidden in the depths of his craggy face. His one cybernetic hand gleamed in the late evening light.

“Ah, Mitaka,” Snoke greeted, rolling Mitaka’s name in his rusty voice. It sounded like broken fall leaves rubbing against one another and Mitaka bit his lip. He saw Phasma’s nose begin to lift in a sneer and forced himself to stand straighter.

“Tell me, has the FBI located my man yet?,” Snoke asked. He was dressed in a simple pair of slacks and a button down, a sand colored trench coat over his thin frame. Playing the role of the eccentric inventor, Mitaka thought. Alistair Smith, the leader in cybernetics and the face that Snoke put out in the world.

“Not yet. They are putting roadblocks along the major highways.”

“Yet he killed our man on state route 48,” Phasma said calmly.

“I don’t believe they’ve found the car yet,” Mitaka stammered. “At least when I left Baltimore, they had not.”

“Check with Thannison,” Snoke ordered, folding his hands in front of him. His beady eyes gleamed eagerly and he leaned toward Mitaka. “How did Kylo escape?”

“Well, sir, as you know, we had planted Jim Holden there as our link to him. From what Jim said, Kylo had him test the generator system once. He also got Kylo the code to unlock the cell and some tools so Kylo was able to hack his electronic lock from his side. I believe,” here Mitaka stopped and swallowed again, sure Snoke would react oddly to the news, “Well, that is, Jim had said yesterday that he thought Kylo would escape during his trial. Real dramatic like. But then, well, that Kenobi girl visited him today and Jim texted me that he told Kylo how much of a bother she had become. He had ordered another test of the generator by then.” Mitaka licked his lips. “They found Jim dead in Kylo’s cell.”

“I told you that girl was going to be a problem,” Phasma said idly. Snoke frowned, steepling his hands in front of his face, the gunmetal gray of his cybernetic hand seamlessly blending in with the decaying color of his own natural flesh.

“That you did, Gwen, that you did. But she was too tasty a treat you know?,” Snoke snorted. “Such leverage over the righteous Senator Organa. Her own guilt in her face.”

“Is that why you encouraged Kylo to seduce her?,” Phasma asked curiously.

“Partly, yes. I would love to see Leia’s horror at the realization that her son was sleeping with the woman whose parents she had killed.” Snoke’s cackle was interrupted by a fit of wet coughing and he pulled out a handkerchief. Mitaka flinched at the speckles of blood. A flurry of screams emitted from the barns and Mitaka turned to see a girl running out, her face white with terror.

“Help me!,” she cried as she raced toward them, limping, dragging her right foot behind her.  A burly man, one of Snoke’s nameless cronies, stepped out of the barn and raised a gun. Sounds like firecrackers popping filled the air and the girl crumpled in a heap.

Snoke giggled and walked toward her, squatting by the body who was shaking in the creeping cold. Mitaka followed and took in the thin form of the girl, clad only in a simple white shift. Her right foot was gone, replaced with a metallic one that did not seem to meld with her body. Gangerous green crawled up her leg and black putrid rot glimmered near the cybernetic piece.

“You could have been great,” Snoke was crooning to the girl, pushing her limpid hair from her face. “This? This pain was nothing. Temporary. You could have been a gift to the world. Your life for thousands of others.” The girl shivered once, twice, before the life slid out of her eyes and she gazed blankly up at him. Mitaka turned away, hand covering his mouth.

Snoke sighed and rose, signaling someone to come and take the body away.

“I don’t know why they run,” he complained. “I’m making them testaments to science, to my greatness, but they insist on clinging to their own pathetic lives.”

“Are you...are you still taking homeless children?,” Mitaka asked, fearfully. Snoke shook his head.

“Pitiful specimens. Malnourished. Weak. They caused so many failed experiments,” Snoke’s voice radiated disgust. “No, Hux had a wonderful idea. A series of camps.” A ghoulish grin split Snoke’s face and horror crawled up Mitaka’s spine. He remembered half heard conversations at the FBI about missing children.

Snoke was still targeting children. Mitaka had thought he had stopped once he had moved more fully into drug trafficking and the west coast operations had been damaged by Finn’s work. But now, he realized how wrong he was. How wrong he was to fall into these hands. He thought again of his wife and the shame that would flood her if she knew what he had done.

Snoke read Mitaka’s thoughts with a disappointing cluck.

“Phasma, take the files from Mitaka. I want to get to know our Kenobi girl.”

“She is dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

“Ah haha, Gwennie, my girl. Just because a tool makes one mistake doesn’t mean it goes in the trash. She may have use to us yet.” He turned a thin smile onto Mitaka. “You, however, do not.” Snoke snapped his fingers and another set of burly men appeared by his side. “We may have lost this girl but I’m sure Mitaka will work nicely in her place. Put him onto experiment 66.”

“What? No! My wife!!” Mitaka screamed, as the men went for him. He turned to run but an electric shock ran through him, piss running down his leg, and his limbs twitching uselessly.

As he was lifted off the ground, Snoke gloated at him. “Don’t worry, Mitaka. We pulled her life support before you drove up here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually sad for Mitaka here. 
> 
> Thomas Harris references.  
> Oh, "do you know how you caught me, Rey" is totally Red Dragon. I kept watching the one scene from Manhunter which can see here. [Good stuff starts around 4 min mark"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djAhwNzf8Qs)
> 
> Grant Jacobs is a reference to Garret Jacob Hobbs, the Minnesota Shrike  
> The stuff about the pancake holster truly came from Silence because I only know about rifles and shotguns and hunting deer, not about handguns. Glocks are standard issue for FBI agents, at least according to the internets. 
> 
> "Damn slippery world" is from Red Dragon. My brain says Molly says it to Will but I'm wondering if that was in the TV show. Or if Abel Gideon said (maybe both? "It's hard to have anything isn't it? Rare to get it, hard to keep it. This is a damn slippery planet.”)
> 
>  
> 
> Next week: on the run and what the heck was up with Ben and Bazine?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey confronts truths about herself, Kylo drops some more hints, and things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have lost all confidence in my writing so this a fairly schizophrenic chapter. But it gets all the chess pieces on the board. 
> 
> This chapter was not beta'd so all mistakes are totally mine.

The next couple days would be spent in a high speed pursuit across the country but Rey could hardly expect to know that as she slumbered through the twists and turns along the mountain roads, Kylo’s face bathed in the green lights from the dash. His expression was somber, his gaze occasionally flickering over to check on the slumped figure to his right. Her lips were drawn down and he wanted to flinch at the loss that he had put there. 

But he couldn’t linger in this emotion; there was work to be done and his years within the First Order and FBI gave him the experience to do it. She was his key, the key to keeping him grounded so that he wouldn’t fall too much further in the darkness. She was the key for unseating Snoke who wouldn’t know what to do with her. 

He saw everyone as a pawn. He wouldn’t know what to do with a queen.

And once Kylo was done with her, she’d become something else. Something more. She’d tap into that darkness within her, nourish it, and let it grow. When Ben Solo had been folded into Snoke’s arms, he lost faith in technique and relied on his ability to see the shape of things, to understand the connections between them. How things hung together. He did not restrict, he did not quantify--he gazed and he understood and he credited his own reaction to things.

Rey trusted what she saw but she leaned too much into technique. As if knowing how to fire a gun and practicing time and time again would keep her safe. Safe as life, he thought ruefully. Her own becoming would require a far more delicate touch. If he pushed too far, then his anchor would be stripped away. 

And there would be nothing left but the monster. 

 

As Rey dreamed, she struggled against the pressing waves of her own thoughts. It bothered her that he kept her alive, that he wanted her as his partner. No, she had to figure out why he kept her alive, relentlessly so, even though letting her die would be easier for him. Unconsciously, she reached up to stroke her throat, harkening back to the many times his fingers had encircled her. 

He was dangerous, he called to her, and if she let herself fall into bed with him, it would only end badly.

But, she argued with herself, if they were going to go after the head of the First Order--after all, why else would he want her alive--then she was dead anyways and there was no reason why she shouldn’t allow herself to taste what she so furiously denied. 

In her dreams, she could face the truth: He was the devil, he was temptation, and she knew she was going to hell. She struggled against the lure, snagged like a fish, but she was inexorably drawn to him. He could weave the shadow of Ben Solo around her and she would want to believe it. Her mind warred with herself and she struggled in her seat, a soft cry escaping her lips. Kylo lifted one hand from the steering wheel and laid it on her thigh, her cry trailing off into a whimper.  

The dream twisted until she sat in front of a mirror. She was telling herself the truth. She had seen the darkness in him. She knew what he was like, how brutal he could be. The fat file on the Kylo Ren murders thumped in front of her and she looked at it, as she had for weeks on end in what seemed a lifetime ago. She had stared at it for too many days to be able to ignore the fact that the hands that sought to bring her ecstasy were the same hands that had torn men and women into pieces. 

Rey had to compartmentalize or she wouldn’t survive. Her thigh twitched under his hand as her subconscious screamed at her to flee. Kylo crooned softly and she relaxed beneath his touch. 

They were both aware of one another and painfully aware of both her terror and her arousal. 

Rey shifted in her seat and she was at a crossroads. The devil was dark and looming, his face obscured as the clouds drifted in front of the moon. He offered her an apple named justice. Rey knew that Eve before her took pleasure with the pain when she partook of her apple. Rey took the fruit and bit into the flesh, blood spilling over her fingers. 

She licked her lips. 

The devil was upon her then, tongue chasing the maroon droplets from her sunkissed skin. She caught glimpses of hungry liquid eyes, moles dotting a vulnerable landscape, fingers that knew her skin so well, and she tipped her face to his mouth, a kiss that was all teeth and dread and hunger. 

Rey was startled awake as the car thumped loudly beneath her. She groggily looked over to see Kylo wincing, the thin grey light on the morning drawing his face thin and haggard. Gas station coffee sloshed over the rim of a styrofoam cup and splashed on to the console. 

“Sorry,” Kylo mumbled. Rey muttered nonsense under her breath as she pulled herself upright and scrubbed her face with her hands. She had slept for seven hours in the car and her neck hurt, her back hurt, and she wanted coffee and a toothbrush. Flickering images from her dreams clung to her like cobwebs and she batted them away, frowning at the thought of devils and crossroads. None of it made sense.

Kylo stopped the car in a parking lot and she looked around a shopping center, anchored by a national discount store brand, with several other stores lining it. 

“I’ve got some cash to give you,” Kylo was saying. “Don’t get everything in that store, it’ll just draw attention. We’ll grab some breakfast, visit a few others. Look there’s a makeup store, a drugstore. Get what you need. Remember--you’re not Rey, you’re whoever this redhead is so don’t buy what you would normally buy.”

Rey snorted. “If we’re going after the FO, I’m gonna need jeans.”

“Yeah, ok but I dunno, sexy jeans for the redhead?” She smacked his arm and he pretended to be hurt before taking a sip of the cold coffee and grimacing. “You need to craft a persona for her so people see her but don’t really see her. A persona that blends.” 

Rey tipped her head thoughtfully, cobwebs still clinging in her mind. “Is that what you did? Is Ben Solo just a persona for you?” 

Kylo regarded her quietly. “Where are you going with this?” 

“Well, I’m just trying to figure out who the man was that was kissing me, flirting with me, seducing me.” She stressed the last words, her eyes fastening on his. “Because you know, while you were massaging my shoulders and playing with my neck, you were with another woman. So I think, I think,” she held up her hand as he opened his mouth to protest. “I think Ben Solo was your person suit. And I think you were ordered by your bosses to study me. I don’t know why, I think it has something to do with my parents. And you decided seduction was the way. Because I’ve seen you around other woman, far more beautiful than me, and you never treated a colleague the way you treated me.” 

Kylo closed his mouth, running his tongue along the insides of his mouth. She watched him, watched the thoughts as they raced across his open face. 

“You’re not half wrong,” he finally replied. “I was ordered to get close to you. I got your dossier from Phasma. I saw all your ex-boyfriends. Kevin Driver, Jim Paterson, Aiden Sackler. You’ve got a type, Rey. I fit it. Tall, dark haired, kind of broody. I’m not as rangy or mopey as them, but I fit it. It would seem perfect. And,” he ran a heated gaze over her and she shivered, knowing there was more than sex behind it, “I saw your ambition, little starling. I saw it in your Ikea studio in Ditmas Park. So much need for advancement in there.”  Rey stared at him, leaning away, pressed against the door. She was raw, violated. As much as she seen into him, seen who he really was, he had seen her from the beginning. Every touch, every gesture had been calculated. Every kiss, every kind gesture, every word of encouragement, all designed to bring her to his side. 

A sob rose in her throat and she pushed it back.  Her heart trembled, the fracture line drawn that night in his home, finishing its jagged cut to snap her heart in half. It had been broken so many times already, cobbled together of various meditations, that she didn’t think it could sustain anymore fractures. Given that it continued to beat, that her feet held her up albeit shakily, she would live through another and another and another, one more scar mark lost in a forest of others. 

She had thought she had seen the same scars in Ben, that he had seen them in hers, and that was what drew them together.

Drawing in a deep breath, Rey forced herself to sit upright. “Well, I thank you for your honesty.” Kylo bit his lip and grabbed her wrist. 

“It wasn’t all play. Not all of it anyways. It started out that way. But I saw pretty quickly that you’d never join the FO. And I liked your laugh, Rey. Bazine never laughed. Which is not to say that she wasn’t great or whatever,” he pushed on awkwardly as Rey gazed wide-eyed at him. “But you made me hope for things. Things I didn’t think I could have.” Rey held his gaze, his dark eyes liquid and wanting, and she saw him. It lay heavily on her and his dreams melded into hers and she shuddered.

She had seen his home in the Plains, even if briefly and at night. She knew they would have spent mornings there, playfully making breakfast, and he would have draped her over the kitchen table, his body thrusting against hers earnestly in the dappled sunlight. His comfy and long couch where they would have lounged watching old movies and she would have slid on her knees in front of him, taking him in her mouth. A Sunday morning at the farmer’s market, his arm slung around her shoulder, nipping peach juice off her fingers, kissing her bare shoulders as they argued over which brunch place could be considered theirs. 

So much longing and Rey couldn’t breath. She fumbled for the door handle and shoved open the car door. As she slid out of her seat, Kylo snagged her arm. She turned to look at him, need and loss naked on her face, and when he recognized it as his own, his own features shuttered. He shoved a handful of bills at her. 

“That’s about a grand,” he mumbled, releasing her. 

“I’ll grab something at this store,” she said, not looking at him. “Go to the restaurant across the way. I’ll meet you there and then we’ll finish when the rest of the stores open. Don’t lock the car.” Kylo nodded and Rey jogged across the parking lot, her mind a jumble of thoughts and sensations. 

She hadn’t felt this lost since her parents died and she was drifting in the hospital, waiting for someone to come claim her. No one ever did and she found herself the sudden recipient of a scholarship for a prestigious boarding school in the Hudson Valley. She kept waiting for someone to show up, to explain, to comfort her. That sense of waiting clung to her until she reached adolescence and she accepted the harsh realities of the world. 

And now it rose its ugly head and she had to slap it down again and again and again.

Rey stepped inside and shivered in the artificial cool, nose lifting to catch the warm earthy scent of coffee from the Starbucks inside the store. Gratefully she shoved a few dollars at the barista for a cup of coffee and began to wander the lifeless aisles, drifting between harried mothers rushing before work and engrossed employees, thrusting clothes onto the racks while chatting to one another.

Rey heaped several pairs of distressed jeans and tee shirts with vaguely inspiring slogans in hazy writing into her cart. She added sunglasses and floppy hats, yoga pants and running shoes. Most of it was so bland and typical that she would blend with other millennials her age.  The only attention she might get was from someone making a derisive comment about the commodification of the hipster aesthetic. 

Rey wandered among the aisles, picking and choosing items that would build her new identity. She didn’t really pay too much attention to the other shoppers. Most people didn’t really notice what was happening around them, Ben had once said when they were canvassing a street for witnesses to a murder. Sometimes you get lucky and people notice an odd detail because it stands out. Or someone has seen too many episodes of Criminal Minds, Poe had chimed in. People don’t really want to admit that murderers walk among them. They would as soon as brush off something odd as something wrong with them than admit it could mean something sinister, Ben lectured.

Again, Poe said, unless they’re Criminal Minds fan. Rey chuffed at the memory and hoped that the TV fans were at home at this early hour. She was glad she had taken the gun off before falling asleep in the SUV. A part of her whispered that she slept too easily in the car next to a serial killer and she dismissed it entirely. She was injured and exhausted. 

As Rey walked down the hygiene aisle, she watched the employees milling about, chattering as they sliced open boxes. One carelessly left his box cutter on an end cap and Rey casually slipped it into her pocket. 

He also left his phone and she pocketed it as she dumped a few needed items into her cart. Rey quickly wheeled away, pushing the cart into the women’s lingerie section and swiping his phone on. Like an idiot, he hadn’t secured it and she thanked the gods. Quickly she dialed Finn’s number from memory. 

The phone rang and rang and Rey glanced around nervously. She chewed her bottom lip but there was no answer. His voicemail clicked on and she couldn’t decide if she were being flooded with relief or despair. 

“Finn, it’s Rey. I’m alive. It’s Kylo. He’s got me,” she blathered quickly and wondered how much to give away. “Look for an SUV on highway 48. The First Order tried to grab me. We’re going after them. Don’t try to stop us.” She hit the end button and dropped the phone into a bucket of panties before walking away. 

Rey picked up a few more items and used the self checkout to pay. She hustled into a bathroom and spent a few minutes washing her face and brushing her teeth. She locked herself into a stall and stripped quickly out of her old clothes before sliding on the yoga pants with a baggy shirt. She added a few drapey necklaces and a blonde straw hat. With the swinging bob of her auburn hair and eyes hidden behind the mirrored sunglasses, she looked like any other millennial.

She exited the store and dumped the bags into the SUV. The sun was fully up now and the air was warmer here. She was in the midwest, somewhere, she thought, thinking about the drive and the time. Ohio, maybe, or just inside Indiana. She strode across the parking lot to the restaurant and entered, spotting Kylo in a corner, face half hidden by a Yankees cap and a USA Today.

“Did anyone ever tell you that it’s rude to wear a hat inside a restaurant?,” Rey casually remarked as she dropped into the seat across from him. Kylo only raised a brow and she took off her hat, depositing it on the seat next to her. 

“They’ve got good pancakes,” was all he said before turning his attention back to the paper. Rey balked as she saw Kylo’s face splashed all over the front page and she slapped the paper down. He shot her a dark look.

“That was a bit obvious,” he growled and her fingers drummed loudly on the paper.

“You’re on the front page,” she hissed, her heart picking up. Kylo shook the paper out from underneath her hand. He turned it over and saw his picture, looking unimpressed.

“So I am. Poor picture, though. Why the mugshot?,” he mused before smiling toothily at her. “We’ll be fine. No one is noticing us. They are enjoying their Friday morning brunches or whatever the hell they’re called. They are too steeped into their routine as long as we don’t draw their notice.” Rey bared her teeth at him and he gestured toward the paper. “Besides they’re more likely to check you out, especially in those pants. I don’t need anymore reminders of how sexy your legs are. But I can’t promise not to threaten any man who looks at you for longer than a minute.” Rey snorted and shook her head. The server came by and took Rey’s order while Kylo retreated behind the paper. 

“You’re gross,” she stated matter of factly after the server left. “I don’t find your possessive nature attractive at all.”

“Liar,” Kylo replied amiably, flipping through the pages. “Why do you lie so much to yourself, Rey? Does it help you sleep at night?”

“I lie to myself because I want to convince myself I’m not so fucked up as to sleep with a man who strangled me.”

“I didn’t strangle you. It was a chokehold to subdue, not to kill,” Kylo pointed out. Rey shook her head and stabbed her fork into the fluffy stack of pancakes the server had brought.  

“It sure felt like it,” she replied darkly as she shoved the pancakes in her mouth. Kylo watched with thinly veiled disgust as she made her way through the short stack, several pieces of bacon and two eggs, over easy. 

“Wow,” was all he said after she finished, primly wiping her mouth with a napkin. 

“I didn’t eat much yesterday,” she said defensively and wondering why she cared. Kylo shrugged. “Besides, men shouldn’t criticize women’s eating habits. Especially men who insist on flirting when it’s not wanted.” Kylo lifted in hands in supplication. 

“You’re right,” he assented. “And it’s good because we won’t be stopping much.” Rey studied him over the rim of her mug of coffee as he finished the paper and folded it neatly back together. 

“Can you tell me where we are going?” 

“Montana. Luke’s got a cabin there, totally off the grid.” Rey’s mouth dropped open at the mention of Luke Skywalker. She had studied his texts in her profiling cases, had read his testimonies while in graduate school, and had poured over his notes in his criminal cases. If Kylo thought she made leaps of imagination while working on cases, then he must have thought Luke was a psychic from the way he instantly melded with the killers he profiled, the way in which he instantly understood them, and almost uncannily was able to identify who they were. 

Luke had retired at age forty five from the FBI and had set up a private practice. But Rey had heard nothing else about him and she had even attempted to email him about a project she had been working on in grad school. But nothing. 

“Is he even alive?,” she ventured and Kylo nodded.

“But he should be fishing in Baja so don’t get your panties in a twist,” he grinned. Rey lifted her head.

“My panties are none of your business,” she shot back. Kylo smirked and leaned back in his seat, the faux leather of the booth creaking with each movement. 

“I did try to make it mine.”

“Under Snoke’s orders.”

“No, Snoke’s orders were to get to know how you ticked, to see if you could be turned. Anything else was up to me. I could have dragged you to a warehouse and tortured you.” Rey’s eyes widened and Kylo grinned, amending his statement. “Anonymously, of course. But watching you and Poe and Finn together, I got much more interested in something else.”

“Plus you fit my type,” she ruefully reminded him. 

“If you choose not to use a tool, you need to know why.”

“I don’t need you to lecture me on how to do my job. I think I do it just fine.”

“Eeeeh, you do alright.”  Rey stuck her tongue out at him and stabbed her fork at the last piece of egg on her plate. Kylo signalled for more coffee and the bill and she thought about one of the nights in his office. He had been teasing her all night, his hands all over her body, casual touches here and there, as she entered his case notes into the system. It was late, closer to midnight than she wanted, and the coffee had cooled in both of their cups. She had been incensed when he casually dropped that he was missing his ex, a Bazine, with her curvy proportions, and had instantly read it as an insult, as his hands massaged her shoulders. 

As sunlight filtered through the windows and lit up the light hairs in his day old stubble, Rey saw the pattern in his actions and narrowed her eyes. 

“You did that deliberately, that thing with Bazine. You wanted to see if I took the bait,” she said sharply and Kylo grinned impishly.

“Of course. I’m a good fisherman, Rey. It’s why the FO wanted me.” Rey tilted her head as she considered the notion that the FO had gone after him rather than the other way around. After Karrade’s statement and Kylo’s embrace of the organization, she had thought he had sought them out. But if the FO had a dossier on her, perhaps it had them on others. Perhaps it cultivated its members. She reflected that until Kylo mentioned Snoke, she had never heard of the name. The FBI assumed that Hux, Phasma, and Kylo ran the organization. 

“Tell me about Snoke.”  She studied him as he dumped sugar into his coffee, his brows drawn in concentration. 

“He’s the leader of the FO. Hux, Phasma, and I were merely his lieutenants.”

“Snoke’s not a common name.”

“It’s not his real name. His real one is entirely too well known.” Rey’s brows lifted at that comment.  

“Is he a politician?”  Kylo barked a harsh laugh at that and shook his head. 

“No, but not for a lack of trying,” he replied, amusement heavy in his voice. Rey frowned and he continued: “This isn’t a secure location to really talk about Snoke. I will tell you more when we get to Luke’s cabin. The FO has no eyes or ears there.” Rey bit her lip and met his cool gaze and thought about all the half truths. He was better at teasing and provoking, shying away from discussing things honestly.  Perhaps Snoke wasn’t real at all but another lure designed to capture her. Kylo reached across the table and clasped her hand between his, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on the inside of her wrist. Rey sighed and tugged her hand back.

“Look, cards on the table,” she began and Kylo made a surprised face. “I was attracted to Ben Solo. Deeply. It hurts knowing you did it to get something out of me, but as we both discovered this morning, you felt something too. But you’re not Ben Solo. Not anymore. Whatever we had between us is over. It’s done.” 

“You can’t deny the heat between us.”

“It’s all on your end,” Rey affirmed. She stood up and nodded toward the bill. “You gonna pay?” Kylo growled low in his throat and leaned forward, eyes latched on hers. She could feel the anger in his gaze and lifted her chin, refusing to be cowed. 

“You still have feelings for me.”

“No, you still have feelings for me. And that’s something you are going to need to come to grips with. Because the man I cared about, the man I was interested in knowing is gone. He disappeared the night he pulled a knife on me in the kitchen.”

“He was gone long before then,” Kylo snapped. Rey shrugged.

“I felt like there was some hope. But I was wrong. You’re Kylo Ren now. We’re partners, that’s all.” He stared evenly at her and spoke, his voice low.

“If you weren’t interested, then why did you show up that night in a flirty little dress with those see through straps?” 

“That dress wasn’t for you,” Rey replied flatly. She watched Kylo out of the corner of her eye as he swallowed her statement. He blew his air out in a little huff.

“Shall I ask who it was for?”

“I’ll never tell.”

“Of course not,” he scoffed. He scowled, his brows a dark line across his face and he dug his fingers into the countertop. 

“Just drop it,” Rey ordered softly. Kylo snorted and tossed a few bills on the table. Rey reviewed it make sure it covered everything as he stormed past her, shoulder bumping into hers. He had put enough plus a substantial tip and she sighed. It was such a Ben trait, she thought, thinking back to all the meetings at a local diner. He had always been kind to the server and always over tipped, arguing for a living wage. Where Ben ended and Kylo began was a dizzying thing to puzzle out and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to. It might reveal the lie that she was telling herself--that Ben was dead, that Kylo was all that existed, and all that she felt was a lie. Wheeling around, she headed out and found him leaning against a column, toothpick in mouth.  He tossed her the keys and followed her out across the lot. 

“Letting me drive?”

“We are partners.” They reached the SUV and Rey beeped it once. Kylo opened the door and began rifling through her bags. 

“Do you need to get anything else? We won’t stop again.”

“I should visit the lingerie store,” she admitted. She expected him to make a sly remark but he kept quiet. 

“Fine. I’ll wait here.” He settled himself into the back seat, opening one of his bags and pulling out a laptop. “I’ve got work to do.”

“Work? You?” 

“I’ll see you later, Rey.” He pulled the door closed and Rey stared at the grey side of the car. She had hurt him, she realized. Far more than she thought. She thought again about the hopes he had shared, the hopes she had picked up on, and they were deeper ingrained than she initially suspected. It’s how he comforted himself in prison, she realized sadly as she crossed the lot again and entered the store. She quickly tossed a few things in a basket and waited patiently to check out. 

I’m a mess, he’s a mess, she thought grimly. And I need to keep my head in the game. Letting my heart rule never got us anywhere useful. She reflected briefly on each of the men that Kylo had mentioned. Yes, she thought firmly. My heart never got me anywhere. She quickly walked to the car and hopped into the driver’s seat. She glanced back to see Kylo tapping away on his laptop. 

“Aren’t you worried that I will call the FBI while I’m shopping?,” Rey asked curiously. Kylo shrugged and closed the lid of the laptop, dangling the boxcutter in front of her.

“Should I worry more about you slitting my throat?” She swallowed hard and he jumped out of the backseat, flinging the box cutter away. 

“Some kid could pick that up,” she reprimanded.

“His dad should have paid more attention then,” he snapped  as he slid into the passenger seat and she caught the use of dad and wondered again about his and Han’s relationship. Huffing loudly, she got out and found the box cutter, taking it back with her, and popping it in the glove box.

“I gave you a gun.”

“Sometimes a knife is useful.” He snorted and tossed his head, elbow propped on the door, finger running along his top lip. She could feel the heat off his body, read the tension in the shuttered look on his face. 

“Back to your call--I imagine you did but I’m trying to imagine where you got a phone since I crushed yours at the wreck. You can’t hide a phone in those pants, although….”he trailed off and flicked up her shirt, exposing her belly. Rey slapped his hands away and he shrugged. “Nope. You want them to look but not to find. After all, you want to take down First Order.”

“You think you know me so well,” she growled and Kylo’s hand shot out to grab her chin and jerk it toward him. Angrily she lifted it out of his grip and stared defiantly at him. 

“I do, Rey. I had plenty of quiet time in prison to think about you,” he answered in a low voice. The hint of sadness in his voice confirmed her earlier thoughts and her heart jerked. “You’re committed to justice but your idea of justice is far different from the FBI’s. Do yourself a favor and don’t lie to yourself. It’ll make things a lot easier. ” He tilted his head to consider her. “So many forts that you built in your mind. What are you protecting, Rey?” 

“Stay out of my head!,” she snapped and fired the car to life, quickly backing out of the parking space. Kylo sucked in his air through his teeth. 

“Slow down! You’re drawing attention!,” he commanded and Rey laughed harshly. 

“Maybe I want that kind of attention.”

“Christ, I knew I should have seen you on the drive track,” Kylo grimaced, gripping the bar overhead as she peeled out of the parking lot and merged onto the freeway. “Get off the freeway.”

“It’s faster this way.”

“Yes,” he groaned as if she were stupid, “But the FO has access to the cameras along these routes. We’re much easier to find this way.”

“Do they know about this car?”

“Probably not yet but soon.” He pointed toward an exit for a state highway route. “Take that. Go west.”

“It’ll take us forever to get to Luke this way,” Rey grumbled and pulled off onto the small two lane highway. They pulled into a gas station and Rey fueled up while Kylo got himself more coffee and her a frappucino.  He fiddled with the radio as she followed the state highway, passing subdivisions until they were out of the furthest suburbs and were lost in pastures and the small stalks of baby corn.  

Kylo listened to some local police chatter before flipping off his cb radio and flicking on a country station. Rey made a face at him and he obligingly hit the buttons until an oldies station came on. Rey shrugged and he leaned back into his seat. 

“Why don’t you like your dad?,” she asked tentatively.

“I’m not paying you to be a therapist.” 

“Ok, I wasn’t aware that you were paying me anything.”

“Give a woman her life and all she does is complain,” Kylo muttered and Rey bared her teeth at him. He sighed. “Look, when we get to Luke’s, I’ll give you something that will make it worth it.” Rey eyed him cautiously and he caught her expression. 

“Well, I mean, I can give you that too and I promise it’ll be worth it..” Rey laughed, a bright but sharp sound that sliced the tension between them. 

“That’s not a reward I want.”

“Ah come on, princess, it’ll really relax you.”

“So sure of yourself.” 

“I was in that hotel room too,” he countered easily, a cocky grin lighting up his face and she chuckled. 

“Taking sex off the table--”

“Your loss.”

“Taking it off the table,” Rey said firmly, “what else is my reward?” Kylo watched her as she merged over, the highway dropping to a single lane on each side. 

“I can give you the truth about your parents,” Kylo said softly and Rey slammed on the brakes. He pitched forward and barely caught himself from slapping his head on the dashboard. He turned to glare at her through a curtain of hair. 

“What the fuck, Rey?”

Fury raced through her and she clenched the steering wheel, knuckles turning white. “Karrade said that my parents were killed by the FO. Is that true?”

“You’re gonna have to wait.”

“I don’t want to wait,” she ground out and Kylo shook his head.

“I don’t want you distracted during our trip to Luke’s.” Rey laughed and waved a hand around. 

“It’s just us, Kylo! Us and some cows! What else do we have to think or talk about?!” Kylo shook his head and she pounded the steering wheel. 

“You’re ruining my life!,” she hollered and Kylo laughed hollowly. 

“You’ve already ruined mine! You’ve been doing it my whole life!,” he shouted and Rey rocked back, her eyes widening in amazement. Her mind raced to understand what he was saying. 

“I’ve barely met you,” she countered and Kylo let out a dark laugh.

“That you know of,” he replied ominously. Rey tightened her lips and stared at him, quivering with rage. He gestured toward the road. “I promise to tell everything when we reach Luke’s.”

“I want to know now!”

“Why? You’ve waited all these years. What’s the difference in two more days?” Their breathing was loud in the car and Rey shook her head, searching his face for some sign of a trick. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes dark and angry, but he held himself as if were waiting for her rage. Almost braced. Swearing colorfully, Rey threw the car back into gear and floored the accelerator. Kylo swore loudly. 

“You’re going to draw the attention of a bored police officer.” 

“I’ll just wave my little FBI badge and keep going. Besides,” and she flashed him a wolfish smile, “If I keep this up and drive all night, we should be at Luke’s tomorrow afternoon.” Kylo cursed before letting out a harsh, grating chuckle. 

“That’s my Rey,” he said ruefully, lovingly. 

Then the shot burst through the glass, clipping his shoulder, and Rey screamed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Hannibal references here. 
> 
> One of the things I tried to do here, especially in the shopping bit, was to show that Rey is good at her job. She didn't catch Kylo through something he let slip during sexy times (which were not had, just making out and maybe second base (actually I don't know what second base means anymore so um fondling?)). One of the better elements in Hannibal the book is Thomas Harris taking his time to show how Clarice thinks, showing how she figured out how to capture Hannibal. She is good at her job which is supposed to add to our hated for Krendler since he's basically kicked her into the basement doing shit work for the FBI. 
> 
> "Forts in your mind" is from Red Dragon the book and Hannibal the TV show. 
> 
> The bit about not trusting technique but the shape of things is from Clarice's thoughts about how to find Hannibal in the  
> book Hannibal. 
> 
> "Dread and Hunger" is a lyric from the song Waltz for Lecter, a fan song for the TV Show. You can see a fanvid with it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjM2_F4B9Bk). (It's also the title of an amazing Hannigram fic here on AO3).  
> The stuff on people not noticing killers is taken from the FBI handbook on serial killers that is available on their website. 
> 
> The drive track Kylo refers to his the drive track that all trainees have to complete, where they test their driving and braking skills in a high speed environment. 
> 
>    
> The bit about their mornings together had their life been different got me sad and I actually wrote an E rated chapter on it that's here on A03. You can read it on Conflicts Internal Chapter 8 [here ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10848876/chapters/25344699).
> 
> I am on the Tumbles at [HausCrashBurn](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hauscrashburn). I post lots of Reylo and Hannigram. Come by, say hi.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by the super awesome Sansacat! Any mistakes that exist are my own or are me deciding I'm just a git who likes my run on sentences. Sansacat also has certain knowledge that make this story really vroom. ;) Many thanks to her. 
> 
> So, question--when I write these chapters, they are are on average 5k-6k words. I saw some people in the Tumbles complaining about longer chapters so today I'm only giving you half of what chapter 9 is in my manuscript (which is sad because you're missing the flirting). 
> 
> So question--how do you feel about the longer chapters like we have been having? Thanks in advance!

Another shot rang out and the steering wheel jumped in her hand it as the Ford swerved hard to the right. Rey cursed as she tried to drag it off the shoulder.

“They’ve hit a tire!,” Kylo shouted, ducking low to grab a gun from his duffel bag. Blood dribbled down his arm. “Keep the car straight!”

“I’m trying!,” Rey hollered over the screeching wheels as she jerked the car a hard left back into the lane. She glanced quickly in the rearview mirror and cursed at the sight of a hulking black SUV behind them. 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!,” Rey lamented. She should have noticed that they weren’t alone. “Feds or the First Order?”

Kylo didn’t answer, only steadily raised his arm , and fired three successive shots. The rear window blew out and Rey heard brakes screeching on the road and a loud pop. 

“Front tire out,” Kylo commented, raising the gun again. A loud shrill noise raced up from the back and Rey struggled to keep the car from swinging wildly on the road. The blown out tire thudded loudly and she heard two more pops as Kylo fired again. 

A sharp crack sounded suddenly and the rear passenger window blew out. Rey flinched as shards of glass struck her and her panic spiked sharply. Kylo swore and aimed at the motorcycle pulling up alongside them. 

“Swerve now!,” he cried and Rey jerked the wheel to the left. The motorcycle cut across and hit the small metal guardrail. The driver pitched over the edge and the side of their SUV skidded along, metal sparks flying in the air. Gritting her teeth, Rey slowly moved the car away and got it back under control.

The black SUV behind them gunned it suddenly and began racing toward them. Kylo was rummaging around a bag and unbuckled himself to move to the backseat. 

“You’re gonna get killed!,” Rey screamed at him.

“Focus on the road--keep straight,” he roared at her over the wind. She couldn’t keep the speed they were at and slowed the car down, the other car appearing much closer. She watched from the rearview mirror as Kylo lifted up a grenade launcher and her mouth fell open. 

“Where in the hell did you get that?!,” Rey demanded.

“Not now!,” Kylo shouted as he hefted it to his shoulder and fired at the SUV, a deafening swoosh rocketing around Rey. She shrieked and covered her ears, the car wobbling on the road, and watched a ball of fire rip out of the air in front of the SUV behind them. 

It careened to a stop and the shockwave shuddered their own car. Kylo flew back to crash against the console, head slapping the windshield with a sickening crunch. Rey thrust forward in her seat, her seat belt cutting into her neck and chest as she slammed her foot on the brake. Their car skidded and leaned precariously to the right as if to tip over. Her training slammed into her, blood singing as she twisted the steering wheel roughly and she threw the car into the skid to let it stop abruptly and fall heavily onto all four wheels, rocking in the aftermath. 

“Kylo!,” she stuttered, grabbing him by the lapels. He whimpered and she gently touched the blood trickling down his temple. 

“It’s not a concussion,” he groused and shoved her helpful hands off of him, crawling slowly over the seat to kick the door open. The car groaned in protest and Rey wondered just how hard a hit it had taken. She scrambled after him, hastily jerking her gun out of the holster from where she had shoved it in the car door and carefully approached the flaming SUV. Kylo opened the trunk and grabbed a fire extinguisher, limping slightly as he strode toward the other car. He gave two short bursts of the extinguisher to slowly douse the flames before throwing Rey a grim look.

“Can you handle this next part?,” he demanded. She curled her lip.

“I won’t watch you torture, if that’s what you mean.”

“Then go back to the car,” he snapped. “There’s a spare tire in the back. You can make yourself useful for once.” She stomped over to him and placed the muzzle next to Kylo’s blood streaked temple. 

“Just because I’m going with you doesn't mean I’ll let you torture, murder, or maim people.” Kylo shot her a derisive look and snickered mockingly. 

“You already killed a man once today, Rey,” he said, an enticing lilt in his voice, his eyes softening. Rey’s hands did not shake; she only shoved the muzzle harder and he winced. 

“I’m not joking.”

“Neither am I. This is a First Order standard op. We have to know how they found us.”

“You can question them without torture.” Kylo let out a short bark of a laugh, harsh and grating. Rey shuddered even as the sun beat down on them warmly. A small breeze had sprung up and the smoke was blowing into her eyes. She squinted and coughed slightly, turning her head to sneeze. At that moment, Kylo ducked away, grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. He slipped the gun from her and laid the muzzle against her cheek. 

“Don’t make threats you can’t commit to you,” he lectured. “Besides, Rey, what did you think would happen on this trip?” 

“Torture is wrong.”

“No, it’s a tool.” He then turned, gave her a slight push, and fired two shots at the figure creeping out of the car. The man screeched and fell over, clutching his leg. Glancing quickly into the car to ascertain the status of the other passengers, Kylo hurried over to the man, Rey reluctantly following. 

The man’s forehead was cut, blood gushing over his face, a shard of glass embedded in his cheek. He was cradling his leg and making a loud keening noise. Rey could see blood dribbling out onto the sun stained asphalt and bone white peeking through. Kylo had shot out his kneecap. Kylo pointed the gun at the man, cocking it once. 

“How did you find me?,” he asked coldly. The man bared his teeth at Kylo. They were small and neat and coated in blood. His face contorted into a feral looking thing. Kylo shot him in the shoulder and he screamed, clutching his arm.  

“Tracking device!,” he gritted out, pressing his hand to his leaking shoulder. He was a mess, blood dripping into his eyes and matting his black hair to his cheeks. Rey looked away, looked at the blue sky, the empty expanse of road, the smoking SUV. Anywhere but him. 

“How did you know to go looking for me?” 

“Didn’t. Proximity alert. We were here for---” he cut off suddenly, pressing his lips together. Kylo took another step toward the man, slow and assured, Death himself there to soothe the man before the end. He knelt and regarded the man and Rey watched curiously from the corner of her eye. 

“I can make it quick if you just tell me if you informed Hux about my location. If you don’t tell me, I can make it excruciating.” To prove his meaning, he aimed the gun at the man’s stomach and Rey winced. Bullets to the stomach were painful and he would feel it until he passed out, his nerves frayed beyond saving. But she bit her lip and said nothing. 

“No,” the man wheezed. Kylo made a humming noise and raised the gun to rest it against the man’s forehead. 

“Thank you,” he said politely before firing. Rey jumped, hand flying to cover her mouth. The man’s face collapsed as the back of his skull blew out and he slumped to the ground, a splatter of skin and bones and blood and brain. 

Kylo stood and wiped his hands on his pants. He hobbled to the black SUV and wrenched open a door, rummaging through, pulling his shirt up to cover his nose from the smoke. He pulled out a briefcase and gestured for Rey to follow. 

“Change the tire,” he was saying quickly as Rey numbly trailed after him. “I’ve got two full size ones in the modified trunk area. I’m going to check why they are in this area.”

“Aren’t they everywhere?” Rey’s mouth moved slowly, her lips turning into granite as the realization that she did nothing to help the man settled into her belly. She was falling deeper down the hole with him, she thought desperately. She had barely protested because she could see the reason not to and she wasn’t sure what horrified her more. She heard Kylo sigh and her eyes flicked up to meet his patient ones. 

“Rey, if you want to catch a predator,  then you have to be able to think like him, act like him. Your pity is admirable, to an extent, but if you want to catch the FO leaders, then you need to embrace your own darkness.”

“I have no darkness,” Rey replied automatically and Kylo snorted.

“Do you really believe that? You saw me when no one else did. Your darkness called to mine.” Rey shook her head and eyed him warily. Rather than replying, she brushed past him, marching to the car and yanking out the tire. She quickly got to work jacking up the car. Anger coursed through her, growing steadily and she ripped the bolts off with greater force than she needed to, ripping the skin off her right knuckle. 

Cursing softly, Rey popped the knuckle in her mouth, sucking the torn skin softly, the coppery tang of blood flooding her senses. The sharp pain took the edge off her anger and she quickly finished the job. She found Kylo sitting in the back of their SUV, the box cutter in his hand, as he sliced into his skin. Her eyes widened and her stomach clenched as blood poured down his arm. A moment later, Kylo pinched at something in his shoulder and pulled out a miniscule black chip. She leaned over to examine it while she fumbled for the large first aid kit, grabbing a handful of sterile wipes to dab at the blood. 

“Tracking device,” Kylo said wearily. He dropped it on the ground and crushed it with his foot. “I didn’t think Snoke would actually do it to me.”

“That’s amazing technology,” Rey commented. “How’s it powered?”

“Little battery cell. Snoke is quite technologically clever.” Rey knitted her brows together and Kylo sighed, leaning against the side of the car as she bandaged his arm. “You’re a cunning girl. You’ll figure it out.” She tore open another package of wipes, smearing the blood off his temple. She was close to him now, standing between his open legs, and waited to feel his attention. But his eyes were closed, his face drawn in lines of exhaustion, and she remembered that he didn’t seem to sleep last night. 

Smiling a bit to herself, she cleaned up his cut forehead and then attended to her own cuts on her knuckles and picking glass out of her hair. She grabbed the box cutter and went up front, cleaning up the back seat and snagging the light jacket she had bought. She slipped it on and placed the cutter in the pocket. The highway was still deserted, with only a cow watching her, cud moving in its mouth, as she swept glass out of the seats and onto the road. When she walked around the back, Kylo was sitting up, a laptop from the stolen briefcase in hand, and an internet data card blinking brightly as it mined the wireless towers for a data connection. 

“We need to make a detour,” Kylo rumbled and Rey raised a brow quizzically. She looked down at the shredded tire and wondered if she should toss it. Sighing she threw it out into the field and the cow snorted, moving quickly away. Slapping her hands together to rid them of the dust she turned back to Kylo. 

“Why?”

“There’s a First Order processing center here.”

“A processing center?”

“The FO specializes in human trafficking. We’re an hour and half from Lake Michigan. Easy to take a boat out at night and smuggle girls and boys into Canada.” 

“And what?,” Rey asked sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re hoping to get a cut of this?” Kylo’s brows drew together and Rey involuntarily took a step back. She could see the darkness gathering around him, reminding her of the way he loomed over her in his kitchen. Her hand went up to cover her throat and Kylo slammed the laptop closed. 

“No, to stop it. I never participated in that shit.”

“No, you just murdered people,” she shot back and Kylo shoved the trunk closed, whirling around to thrust his face into hers. She forced herself to hold her ground, to see the anger swirling in his eyes. The righteousness was bleeding right out of him and she was swamped with confusion. What did he have to be righteous about? She voiced the thought aloud and Kylo grabbed her roughly, shaking her once. Crying out, Rey slapped him.

“Stop it!,” she growled.  “I refuse to let you do this to me any longer.” She noted the pleased gleam in his eyes as she slipped her hand into her jacket to pull out the box cutter. She pushed the blade out and his eyes widened, a smile breaking out. 

“And you say you have no darkness,” he purred. Rey let out a little dry bitter laugh.

“Protecting myself isn’t darkness.”

“You’re not protecting yourself now,” he pointed out as she leveled the knife at him. 

“I know what you can do,” she said evenly. He raised his hands and then jerked his head toward the car.

“Let me show you. And then I’ll explain everything.” Rey raised one brow, doubt evident on her face. “I promise.”

“Your promises mean nothing.” Kylo’s face fell and he dropped his hands to his side. And in that moment  she saw Ben again, disappointment heavy in his features. A part of her urged her to go forward and comfort him; she resisted. It could be a trap. Just like the trap he weaved before. 

Without thinking she blurted out: “I need to know which part was you following FO orders and which part was just you. I need the demarcation.” It was a stupid statement, too easy for him to manipulate but she couldn’t help but respond at the rawness on his face. She cursed her tender, scarred heart and braced herself for him to slice her open again. 

For a few long moments, Kylo said nothing. He looked at his watch and then shaded his eyes against the sun to look down the road. 

“This won’t be empty for long,” he eventually said. “Let’s get in the car, take the next highway north and I promise to tell you everything.”

“You haven’t answered any of my questions so why start now,” she responded bitterly. Kylo sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Beside,” she added quickly. “We’re too obvious with the blown out windows.”

“Agreed. We’re going to have to steal another car,” he said gamely and walked around to the front of the Ford. Rey hesitated for a moment and giving herself a firm shake, she followed. 

She had no other options, even as she felt her heart seize up, a coating of ice growing to shield itself from the inevitable darkness ahead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Tumble over at [HausCrashBurn](www.tumbler.com/blog/hauscrashburn).


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok ask and you shall receive! Here is chapter 9 pt 2! I'm keeping 10 together as one long chapter because things, ahem, happen. 
> 
> Thanks for all of your feedback and to Sansacat for being a fantastic beta!

“The First Order is involved in all sorts of crime,” Kylo began once they got on the road. He took the nearest dirt road between some cornfields and cut north.  Rey gripped the door as the car bumped and rocked over the pitted road. 

“Smuggling, human trafficking, racketeering. They really like blackmail and money laundering, black market gun sales, things like that.  Do you remember the doctor from Annapolis?,” he glanced over and she nodded, thinking about the doctor whose heart had been torn from his chest and his penis dangling by a strip of skin. “He was an agent of the FO. They caught him with some young boy, about 14 or so, and used that to blackmail him. He signed off on a summer camp and boys interested in STEM fields were actively hunted. He got a taste of some of them but the many were targeted. The ones that fit the profile would slowly begin to disappear over the course of several months. They also took a few boys who didn’t fit the profile just to throw off the scent for any investigators.”

“What happened to the ones targeted as opposed to the decoys?”

“Decoys were killed, unless Snoke knew of an interested buyer. The other boys were farmed out to men like him, men with particular tastes.” Kylo stopped to lick his lips, his eyes darkening, anger roiling off of him. 

“Is that what happened to Vincent LaRocca?,” Rey asked delicately. Kylo nodded jerkily. 

“He was eleven years old, Rey. Kyle had no choice. And when he told me, I felt like I had none either. I had to help them both.” Kylo cut him himself off and Rey frowned. She felt the conflict between the stories and puzzled at it even as her heart ached for the children. 

“They were all under the age of fifteen. Babies, all of them,” Kylo choked out, injustice and outrage thick in his voice. Rey blinked rapidly. She had seen cases like this many times while in training. They had to grow numb otherwise the fury would devour them alive. 

But it didn’t stop her from reaching up to wipe a tear away. 

“What did you do about?” 

“Like I said, I wasn’t involved much in that side of the things. I was Snoke’s attack dog. But I bribed someone to get one of the camps shut down for health reasons. And I got a few of the boys out and into therapy before you locked me up,” Kylo answered. “And I took care of that doctor.” Rey couldn’t help but shiver at the glee in Kylo’s voice. 

He continued speaking: “And these girls? They’re all young, lured by some promise of a greater future that turns out to be a lie. Someone poses as a model scout, others fall for the loverboy scheme. They get captured and taken to a central point where they’ll be smuggled across the border and will be sold into the sex trade or into factories making two hundred dollar handbags for twenty cents a day. Which they won’t get because a bed is fifteen and a meal is ten. So they are always in debt and always have to work.”

“You could have just gone to the press with this,” Rey insisted and Kylo shook his head vehemently. 

“No, some of the editors of the biggest papers work for them.”

“Then go to the blogs. Internet activism is a real thing.”

“They’re everywhere, Rey!,” Kylo thundered and she shrunk back, pressing against the door. “They own everyone! They own the fucking ISP that you use to google with. Or at least own the shareholders who do. You think there is someone out there unsullied by them? Guess what, there may be but someone they care about it is under their thumb. That’s how they work.” 

“Then what’s your plan, Kylo? Go in guns blazing, take out the bad guys and set the girls free?,” she snapped, temper frazzled and fear gnawing at her. Kylo hesitated before nodding, jaw tightening as he clenched his teeth. Rey snorted. 

“That’s it?! That’s your grand plan? And what about these girls, hmm, who will take care of them? They’re probably scared, they may need medical attention, and you’re just going to burst in, kill a bunch of people and leave?” The derision was thick in her voice and Kylo’s knuckles were turning white, his cheeks flushed as she continued to berate him. 

“No, we’re going to need help for this one,” she finished, fishing for his cell in the console. “I’m going to call Poe.”

“You can’t--” He reached for his phone. 

“I can!,” she shouted, slapping at his hand. “Poe is honest and faithful and he will ensure that this half-arsed rescue mission at least succeeds on some level.” Rey sighed heavily and shook her head. “Besides if I’m going to prison for aiding and abetting, I want some good to come of this.” She clutched the phone to her chest waiting for him to respond. She slid on the screen to see that she couldn’t access it without his fingerprint. And no signal. She groaned and slammed the phone down. 

Kylo said nothing for a long while and Rey became content to watch the corn fields bleed into soy fields. She could see several silo towers a few miles away and Kylo was aiming toward them, hoping for a car. 

“Do what you feel is right,” Kylo finally said, sighing as if he had reached a great conclusion. Rey shot him a bemused look. 

“I was going to anyways but thank you for your beneficence, your highness,” she dryly responded and Kylo chuckled. 

“I always did love that smart mouth of yours, Kenobi,” he rumbled warmly and Rey felt both the insult and the compliment.

“You said earlier that you didn’t tolerate it.”

“Well, tolerance is difference from love. I don’t like insubordination but I can’t help but admire your smartass.” She smiled gamely and returned back to enjoying the puffy white clouds in the sky, trying to ignore the fact that she felt his eyes on her. 

There was an old pick-up truck parked by the silos. Quickly, Kylo checked to see if it worked. The engine turned over quickly and its’ gas tank was half full. Rey switched license plates while Kylo moved luggage and they both worked together to wipe down the SUV. 

“Leave them some money,” she said imperiously. Kylo skidded to a halt and raised one disdainful brow. 

“Look, I know that money isn’t yours. It’s from the FO and you’ve been saving most of it to take them down, amirite?,” Rey explained. Kylo gave a small nod. “Then there’s no harm. The car we are giving them has a busted windshield, and two blown out windows. It’ll take some money to fix.” Groaning, Kylo shook his head and dove into a dark duffel bag. He pulled out some bills, counting, before dumping it on the passenger seat. 

“It’s enough that they can fix it or get a used car,” he growled as she opened her mouth. “But not enough to trigger a CTR.” Rey nodded and hopped into the old chevy. A CTR, or currency transaction report, was one way that Treasury and the FBI tracked down money laundering and suspicious activity. If anything, her ready assent and his casual comment confirmed that the FBI was good training its own agents how to avoid the law. 

They sped northward, a bank of stormclouds rolling over the horizon. Rey flipped through the radio, finding a local station that talked about the possibility of flash flooding. 

“Do you know where this place is?,” she asked. 

“Yeah, in the warehouse district. It’s just a bunch of warehouses, all leased by different people who want to get their product across Lake Michigan.” Kylo gestured toward a truck stop and pulled in, parking in a far corner. Rey shimmied out of her pants in the car, aware that Kylo was watching every move. His eyes ran appreciatively over her legs, hand reaching out to pluck at the hem of her plain briefs.

“Really?,” he asked somewhat disappointedly. Rey slapped his hands away and yanked the tags off the jeans she bought. Jeans were less conspicuous in a place like this. 

“I don’t buy underwear for you,” she said quickly as she pulled the jeans on, arching up to slide them over her butt. Kylo’s eyes widened and his hand darted out to squeeze her ass for a moment before pulling it back. Rey huffed out her air in a puff of exasperation.

“You’re acting like a horny teenager,” she grumbled. 

“What can I say? I admire a good pair of legs and yours, sweetheart, are great.”

“You’ve already seen my legs,” she said dismissively and Kylo cocked a brow at her, hand skating down her legs to rest on her knee. She tightened her grip on at the door, refusing to meet his eyes. 

“I wasn’t really looking at your legs that night.” She glanced swiftly over at him and paused, saw the seriousness in his eyes. She didn’t know what to do or say, how to respond to the longing and the regret in his coffee colored eyes. The air crackled with tension and she gripped her shoe tightly, forcing herself to ignore her heart fluttering rapidly like a caged hummingbird. 

“Well, um, that’s,” she stuttered and stopped, licking her lips. Kylo leaned toward her, his breath ghosting over her cheek, gaze tracking the movement of her tongue. She paused, waiting, (hoping perhaps) that he would finish what he had started, that those lips that had taunted her for weeks, lips that gave her but a taste of what they could offer, would finish their task.

Instead, Kylo pulled back and cleared his throat. 

“What do you do to me?,” he muttered and shook his head, stepping out of the car and pulling his hat brim low over his eyes. 

They kept it fast: a fill up of gas, bottles of water, and lunch in the small diner. Most of the other travelers were truck drivers or families, mothers hastily herding small children to the bathrooms and fathers snatching bags of chips off racks. 

They were back on the road as the sun reached its zenith. The clouds were growing darker by the minute and Rey saw a fork of lightning in the distance. Miles passed as they roared toward the storms, entering the suburbs of the lakeside city in a few hours. Kylo navigated his way toward the far east side of town, driving through increasingly industrial areas until they reached the warehouse park. He pulled over to the side of the road and lifted the stolen laptop off the backseat. 

“Last time they posted, there were eight guards,” he said, tapping a few keys and pulling up a surveillance feed. Rey saw men sitting inside a door, MR-16s leaning on the table near them where they played a game of poker. Three men paced in front of a set of cages where all she could make out were jumbles of long, thin limbs. 

“What have we got for weapons?,” she quietly asked.

“Some more grenades, a smoke bomb, materials for molotov cocktail and a bunch of guns,” Kylo answered with a manic grin. She could see the darkness hovering around him and hesitated. 

“Perhaps we should go in with a plan to apprehend,” she began cautiously and Kylo whipped around to bare his teeth at her. She refuse to shrink and met his glare with one of her own. 

“We will die,” he growled. “We go in there to kill and we might make it out alive.”

“We are officers of the law,” she snarled back. “We follow the law.” Kylo laughed, a harsh grating sound and thrust a finger toward that laptop.

“Look at his uniform, Rey. What do you see?” Rey squinted and leaned in, clicking on the image of a guard to expand it. And there he was, wearing a local police uniform. She clenched her jaw tightly and Kylo expelled his air in a frustrated huff.

“They are everywhere, Rey. You can’t get away from them,” he said almost soothingly. Rey closed the image and sat back heavily in her seat. All of the stories she had heard the past few days swirled around in her head. She had refused to believe what Talon and Chewie and Kylo had told her. The FO had their fingers in everything. She remembered Mitaka’s half hearted protest and Thanisson’s threat. She remembered Chewie telling her not to stop to help someone off the side of the road and wondered what the FO had planned for her. She thought about Kylo and his intense need to avoid major areas. She had assumed it was to avoid being caught but thinking about that cop stalking past the wide eyed women cemented her thought that Kylo was right. She had to trust him. Her old world was one built of lies. And she had been lying to herself. It was time to stop. 

She sat up, leaning over to look at the warehouse floor plan that Kylo had pulled up on the laptop. He pointed out the entrances and exits and potential areas of trouble. She stopped protesting the need to go elsewhere. It was clear that they were on their own. They got out of the car ad went to the back of the truck, surveying all of the equipment. 

Kylo pointed to the schematic: “So we go in here, and we go low.”

“Stun with the smoke bombs first, take them out quickly and quietly,” Rey said, picking up a silver threaded garrott from a bag. Kylo grimly strapped a telescoping riot baton on and begin to pack more ammunition around his belt. He handed her a Kevlar vest and she slipped it on, holding her arms up so he could tighten the vest around her. 

“They’ll go for headshots,” she murmured as he checked the vest from behind her. Kylo exhaled heavily and leaned forward, his forehead resting on the top of her head. 

“We have to try.” Rey swallowed and thought about her training on base. She thought about the image of the girls, scrawny and frightened, shoved together in cages. 

“They’ll know we’re moving west,” she whispered. Thunder boomed overhead and lightning leapt from one cloud to another in a sizzling arc. Kylo reached into his pocket and unlocked his cellphone and handed it to Rey. 

“Let them know.” He kissed the top of her head and gave her arms a light squeeze. “Watch your corners and keep low.” 

Rey secured a few more weapons to her body and got back into the truck with Kylo. At her feet, the box of molotov cocktails clinked as the truck rumbled toward the warehouse gate. Kylo punched in the code and the gate silently opened. Rey suddenly discovered that her palms were sweating. 

This is all you ever wanted to do, she reminded herself. 

Save lives. 

Bring justice. 

As the clouds let out a terrific crack of thunder, Kylo stopped the car by the FO warehouse. With alarmingly steady fingers, Rey typed a text. 

_ I’m with Kylo. We’re at 1313 Starling Lane, Warehouse 23, Michigan City, Indiana. We’re taking down a FO sex trade center.  _ Rey snapped a picture of the warehouse just as thunder rolled and heavy droplets began to splatter on the ground. She blinked as large drops hit her face and hit send. 

“Ready?,” Kylo asked, darkly anticipatory, as he slipped on his gas mask. The darkness surrounded him again, his eyes alight with some sort of infernal delight. He was almost unrecognizable. Shivering, Rey nodded yes, pulled on her own mask, and followed him into hell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex trafficking is a serious and real problem, even in places like the US where you might not think it would happen.
> 
> Here are some of the more common scams: [Scams ](http://www.eliberare.com/en/2015/05/4-methods-traffickers-use-to-recruit-their-victims-keep-your-eyes-wide-open/)  
> Here are some ways to work to stop it:  
> [The Muse ](https://www.themuse.com/advice/take-action-7-ways-to-join-the-fight-against-human-trafficking)  
> [Huff Post ](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-john-degarmo/5-ways-you-can-help-stop-_b_14079630.html)  
> [US Dept of State ](https://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo take down a FO operation and Rey discovers how dark Kylo is and just how deep their passion lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a Monday, I'm at work, yet our server is down so lalalala, no working for me. Have this long piece of writing with lots of death and excitement and a fucking ducati (also swearing)
> 
> Many thanks to Sansacat for beta'ing. Any mistakes are mine.

Poe’s office had become a flurry of activity after Finn’s morning discovery. Finn had stumbled in around 10am, bleary eyed, with a day’s growth of hair on his jaw. Poe had sat up from his desk, paper sticking to his cheek, as Finn thrust his phone at him.

“She’s alive,” Finn grunted. Poe had immediately ordered a crew to go out to state highway 48 before yelling at the Virginia state highway patrol for not informing them of the wreck. The patrolman sniped back that he wasn’t required to and there was no evidence that Kylo Ren had been involved. Until Finn had driven out to VHP’s forensic warehouse and reviewed the evidence, snagging Rey’s phone off their evidence table. 

It became a federal scene and agents swarmed the area, ignoring the disgruntled looks of the locals. Finn tried to smooth it over but he could not hide the anguish on his features. The head forensic officer softened and tried not to take offense at Jimmy Price’s snippy and pointed comments. They had found traces of Rey’s blood and Finn grew incensed. 

“Was there any evidence at the site of where they might have gone?!” he shouted. A hapless patrolman shrugged and showed the pictures from the site. 

“We’re fucked,” Finn growled into the phone as he drove back to Quantico. “She’s with that murderer and her blood is everywhere.”

“I thought Price said it suggested minor injuries,” Poe said calmly. 

“She’s with Kylo Ren!,” Finn shouted, swerving recklessly around a mini van and hitting the lights on his dash. He needed to get back to base, to get his feet under him again. 

“Kylo Ren is also Ben Solo and I remember pretty clearly how hard he was hitting on her”.”

“Yeah I remember you bitching him out about it.”

“Right so I doubt he’ll hurt her.” Finn heard Poe bark an order at someone and waited before he replied. 

“Yeah but she locked him up.”

“He didn’t seem entirely too upset about that. And he asked to see her. The orderly said that he was polite to her. And the thing with Resdox? I don’t think he’ll hurt her.”

“Then what does he want with her?!?” Finn slid into his car into his parking spot and hurried out toward Poe’s office. 

“I don’t know,” Poe was saying. “She’s obviously very valuable to him so we need to start looking at who Rey Kenobi is.” Finn entered Poe’s office and they both thumbed off their phones. Finn glared at his friend, fists planted on his hips.

“Do you honestly think that she’s helping him?,” Finn bit out. Poe met Finn’s gaze evenly.

“You and I both know that it is our job to consider every angle.” Finn shook his head. 

“She wouldn’t. I know her too well, Poe.”

“People do strange things for love.” Finn snorted at that. 

“She wasn’t in love with him. It was a college professor infatuation type thing.” Poe opened his mouth to clarify when his phone pinged. He frowned as he read the message.

“Track this number!” he ordered.

“What is it?”

“The message says it’s from Rey. And that she and Kylo are going to take down an FO center.” Finn and Poe stared at each other for a moment, incredulity dawning on Finn’s face. Poe shouted for Snap, another agent, ordering him to get the Chicago office on the phone.

 

Kylo and Rey burst through the warehouse door, Rey dropping to one knee to throw a smoke grenade into the room. The guards were too startled to move quickly, fumbling for their guns as Kylo slid into the room. The white phosphorous in the grenade flared to life, smoke billowing in front of the guards. Rey ducked into the corner and slipped brass knuckles on to her right hand. She saw a guard stumbling toward the door. Kylo slammed it shut and wrapped the garrotte around the guard’s throat. Rey looked away, grateful as the smoke obscured her vision. 

She crept toward the far door and grunted when powerful arms lifted her up to slam her onto a nearby table. Pain clawed up her side and she rolled onto her back, kicking her legs up, and thrashing against his tight grip. The powerful arm grip moved to her throat and she gasped, lungs burning for air. She rocked up harder and jabbed the brass knuckles into his cheekbone. 

She heard a soft swear and his grip loosened. Seizing the opportunity, Rey grabbed his wrist, spun off the table, while twisting her arm, forcing his face to slam onto the table. With his arm in the air, she shoved her elbow into his forearm, and the crunch rang in her ears.  He screamed and she grasped his head and slammed it back down onto the table. 

A hand grabbed her by the upper arm and she whirled around, brass knuckles flying. Dark gloves snagged her wrist, a black mask invading her vision. She stumbled back, realizing it was Kylo as her fear ebbed, and  Kylo relinquished her to drop his elbow onto the guard’s throat. Rey fell back, arms around her stomach as Kylo wrapped the garrote around the man’s throat.

The horror of what they were doing struck her fully and she felt cold, frozen. It was shock, it had to be, part of her brain reasoned. 

“Rey?,” Kylo asked, concern thick in his voice. She stepped further into the smoke and watched the shape of his figure move around in the smoke. “Rey, this is what war means. You’ll understand why in the next room.” 

She considered his words. 

She considered the images from the CCTV and promised herself that she would bring justice. 

Perhaps justice, though, had a different meaning here. 

Rey reached out and tapped his arm. 

“I’m here,” she said through her mask. Kylo bent and grabbed her hand.

“They are going to come in here in a moment,” he said. They crossed the room, feeling for the other door. They framed the sides and not a moment later, the door was thrown open, a guard coughing as smoke rushed into the other space.  

She heard thuds, something cracking, and a strangled yelp. Heart in her throat and her arms shaking with adrenaline, Rey ducked into the other room, edging along the wall, gun out. A shot fired, raining plaster down on to her. She snapped a flare and flung it in front of her, showing three men in night vision glasses. One screeched and ripped his glasses off, blinded by the sudden light. Rey charged toward the other two, firing off shots rapidly. 

As she dodged the return fire, Rey slid behind a concrete column as a sharp slice of pain cut through her arm. She grasped her shoulder and realized she had been clipped, her heart stuttering for a moment before noting that it wasn’t serious. Seeing only a small amount of smoke crawling in from the front room, she ripped off her gas mask, dropping it on the floor as her breath burned in her throat. 

Rey knelt and peered around the column. The center warehouse room was vast, with a staircase leading up to a second floor office. She could see a light on and someone running out, yelling into a phone. So much for there only being six guards, she swore. And in the center of the room were about a dozen of wire cages where she could make out the frail limbs of the girls, their wide eyes staring frightfully about, small bursts of shrieks puncturing the air. Rey felt anger spread through, righteous and strong, as she gazed at the young women, girls really, in their cages.

This was justice. 

“Come out now and we might let you live!,” called one of the guards, the one who was also a cop. Rey smirked and looked around. The warehouse was dark, lit only by small side lights in the plaster walls. Rey aimed her gun, forcing her breathing to steady, and shot one light out. It burst in a rain of sparks and two of the guards shouted. 

She rapidly shuffled to another column a few feet away, raised her gun again and took out two more lights. Her Glock had the standard 15 rounds and she was down by five. She had two clips on her belt for back up but as she glanced around the column again to peer up, she saw another half dozen men clatter down the stairs, rifles in their hands. 

Rey swore again and clicked on her radio. 

“Kylo, where are you? We need to abort!,” she hissed. 

And then she heard the grunts and a startled cry. A moment later her radio clicked on. 

“Negative. You get the girls, I’ll get the men,” Kylo chuckled and she heard heavy feet slapping on the floor. 

Cautiously, Rey slid around the column in a low defensive position, gun out. She swept the room and saw bodies lying on the floor. She rushed over and realized that their necks were broken. Rey stared in shock and the orderly’s words from her first visit to the hospital to see Kylo came back to her. 

_ “He just broke her neck, like in the movies. We know it don’t work like that but he did.”  _ Rey shuddered, the realization of the raw power she was tangling with slapped her hard. She thought she could wrestle and tame him. She thought she could bring him around to justice. 

But as she looked over her shoulder at him, at his dark figure cutting through the chaos, firing rounds rapidly, using his telescoping baton to smash knees and to lash faces, she realized how much of a fool she was. 

A staccato of rounds hit the ground near her feet, a sharp burst of light as they struck the concrete. Rey leapt up and dodged the shots, crying out as one whizzed by her ear, something warm trickling down her cheek. 

She whirled around and crashed into a column, eyes darting wildly to identify the shooter. A hand snaked around the column and covered her mouth. She screamed and he came around to place a serrated machete to her throat. 

“Not one word,” he mouthed. She nodded, terror gripping her, killing the scream where it began. She felt her limbs shaking as he reached over and plucked the Glock from her hand, tucking it into his belt. He was tall with a jagged scar along his temple. 

“Now keep your mouth closed and you’ll be alright,” he lied, a dark spark in his eyes. He shoved her against his chest and began stalking toward the corner where Kylo was fighting two men at once. 

“Oy!,” he shouted. Kylo kicked one of the men and busted his nose with his fist before ducking to whirl around and slam his fist into the other man’s gut. The man doubled over and Kylo stood up, ramming his elbow into the man’s spine, and walloping both fists into his neck. The man choked and fell to his knees, blood dripping out of his mouth. He stopped to look over at the shouting man while ripping a gun out of his holster. He pointed it at them and Rey froze, heart hammering in her chest. She could feel her pulse jumping in her neck, a sharp pain that rivaled the pinching of the knife against her flesh.

“Drop the gun or I’ll gut your girl!,” her captor snarled. Kylo smirked and looked at Rey. 

“Rey,” he began. “Move right.” Without thinking Rey jerked to the right, feeling the knife tear her throat just as Kylo fired his gun. The bullet neatly entered her captor’s forehead, spraying blood all over her, and he stumbled back before collapsing. 

Rey shuddered, her hand immediately going to her bleeding throat. Kylo casually pointed his gun to the two men running over to him and fired two shots, each a perfect hit as the men fell immediately. He walked over to her, slowly prying her fingers from her throat. She was shaking now and she prayed for shock to take a hold of her, numb her from the pain radiating down her spine. 

Kylo eyed the wound and jerked up the hem of his shirt, using her former captor’s knife to neatly slice off the fabric. He wound it around her throat and murmured soft words at her.

“It’s alright, Rey. He didn’t slice either artery. It’s just surface,” he soothed. She trembled, wondering how someone who brought so much death could try to ease her suffering. She couldn’t understand what he was, who he was, why he was cradling her to him. The same thoughts from the night he gutted Han, she thought dimly, wondering why it always came back to that night. 

“Rey, I know you’re hurt but we gotta go,” he whispered urgently. He stood up, pulling her with him, and steadying her as she swayed on her feet. He examined her face and tsked over her shoulder and cheek. “You had it rough.”

“You’re not looking so swell, either,” she spat back. His hair was mussed and he had a large bruise blooming under his right eye. His lip was split and bleeding and he had a long gash along his right arm. He limped slightly over to the cages and Rey blushed, furious with herself for not watching out for her teammate.

You always cover those that had your back. He had had hers. 

She hurried after him and watched him struggle with the locks. He growled and banged the top of the cages, the girls whimpering. Rey kneeled near the closest one and smiled brightly at the girls. Warm ammonia smelled overpowered her senses and she saw the girls crouching in puddles of their own piss, dank and dirty clothes fluttering off thin frames. 

“It’s okay,” she said calmly. “We are the FBI”--here she lied a bit, even as she pulled out her badge and flashed it--”and we are here to rescue you.” The girls spoke rapidly toward one another and Rey heard a mix of languages--Chinese, Filipino, Arabic, and Spanish. She knew one of those. 

“Estamos con el FBI, la policia federal,” she said. Some of the chattering stopped. “Estamos aquí para ayudarles. Donde estan las llevas?”

“El rubio tiene,” one girl supplied, pointing a shaky finger toward the man who had caught Rey. Rey jogged over, trying to ignore the man’s ruined face as she searched him for keys. Kylo was leaning heavily against a concrete pillar, clutching his side. She eyed him worriedly as she hurried back and began unlocking the doors. Many of the girls swarmed out, holding onto each other and Rey looked around until she saw a switch. She crossed the room at a trot to flip the switch, the lights crackling on overheard. 

A couple of the girls cried out in alarm, hands shielding their eyes from the bright fluorescents. Rey searched the room for some supplies until she found some lockers. Using Kylo’s baton, she broke the locks and pulled out blankets. She found cases of water stacked up in an office off to the side and began handing them to some of the other women who quickly grasped what she was doing and began distributing them among the girls. 

Rey continued scavenging for supplies until she found a storage room filled with crates of dried food lined the wall, mostly chips and peanuts and dried fruit. The women streamed toward her and she offered the crates to them. Bags were ripped open and the sound of crunching filled the room. 

She edged away and looked back to where Kylo has been leaning. He was gone. She blinked and scanned the room, trying to find him. He poked his head out from an office and beckoned for her. 

“Police are on their way,” he said without preamble. Rey glanced toward a communications array setup and tuned to a local police channel. She heard Poe’s name mentioned by the local officer in charge and winced. She rummaged through a desk while listening, Kylo typing something into the laptop on the desk, and she found a flash drive. Kylo turned to fiddle with the CB radio and she popped the flash drive into the USB port. Quickly, she found all the CCTV footage and a folder marked Manifests. Inside was a list of all the girls that they had shipped. She moved the information into the flash drive just as the police cars reported being less than five miles out. Rey slipped the flash drive into her back pocket. 

“We need to go,” she said. “We’ve lost the truck and the supplies in there.”Kylo nodded, picked up the laptop on the desk, and jerked his head toward a pair of doors visible from the office.

“As a distribution center, they have a lot of supplies. We should be able to find something to our liking.”

“What about a tracking device?,” Rey asked as they jogged toward the doors which opened into an expansive garage. Rey looked over her shoulder, worried about leaving the girls. While many occupied themselves with food and water, huddled under blankets, others shuffled around dazedly while others still remained crouched in their cages. She felt a dull pain settle underneath her ribs and couldn’t name it. 

“Are we certain that they will think this place is the First Order’s?,” she asked numbly and Kylo laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. It was streaked with blood and his knuckles were split. She shuddered and closed her eyes, turning to follow him to the garage. 

Kylo looked at the five cars in the garage and grinned. Rey resolutely walked toward the Jeep Cherokee. 

“Less conspicuous than a Maserati,” she tossed over her shoulder. Kylo sighed resignedly and snatched the keys from the pegboard. He popped the hood, shining a flashlight around until he found a small black disc by the battery. He disconnected it, crushing it under the heel of his boot. He then strode to the back, opened the trunk, and rooted around for another black disc. 

“Wow, two,” Rey commented and Kylo shrugged.

“There’s probably one more but I need to get under the car to check.” 

“No trust among thieves, I suppose.” He shot her a dry look and  grunted as he got in, opening his mouth to retort. Then he snapped it shut. They could hear the sirens quite clearly now. Rey inhaled sharply. 

“Well, fuck,” Kylo said and Rey shook her head. 

“No, I’ve got a plan,” she said slowly, a wide grin splitting her face. 

 

 

Poe Dameron listened intently to the radio chatter, speaking quickly to the field agent out in Michigan City. 

“What’s going on?,” Finn demanded. Poe waved him away and pressed his phone to his ear. Finn sighed and thrust a finger in his face. Poe groaned and hit a few buttons on his phone, directing it to the bluetooth speaker on his desk.

“We’ve got a perimeter in place. There’s only one exit in and out of this place and we’ve got it covered. SWAT is going in now.”

“If it is FO, there will be traps, could be IEDs,” Poe cautioned. 

“Copy that,” said the other agent. There was a moment of silence and then a cackle. “Yep, they found the IEDs but they’ve already been disarmed, sir.”

“Rey,” Poe breathed and Finn slammed back in his chair, eyes wide in shock. 

“Is Kenobi his captive or is she working with him?,” the agent asked on the phone. Poe exchanged a heavy look with Finn who shook his head. Snap walked into the room and leaned against the door  frame. 

“You gotta call it, Poe,” Snap said without preamble. 

“She thinks she can turn him,” Finn insisted.

“Yeah but into what?,” Poe asked darkly. “Don’t fire on Kenobi, Michaels. She’s part of us, she’s not with him in willingly.”

A moment of static and then a short “copy that.” Then a loud squeal and a rapid staccato of fire came through. “Get him, that’s Kylo Ren, shoot!” Michaels was screaming now and Finn leaned forward. Snap began to pace the room and Poe drummed his leg.

“Status report! Status report!,” Poe shouted. They could hear the wail of sirens and a screech of tires and a door slamming shut. 

“Kylo Ren is getting away on a fucking Ducati!,” Michaels bawled. “I’m in pursuit now.” 

“Status on the warehouse?” Poe growled. 

“About four dozen women, various ages, obviously for human trafficking.” Finn blew out his breath and shook his head. Snap crossed the room and placed a purple pin in the map. Purple marked known human trafficking sites. Finn sighed and buried his face in his hands. 

The First Order were a fucking nightmare. 

“A Ducati?,” Finn queried. “That’s a bike. Where’s Rey?” 

“Status report on Kenobi,” Poe snapped.

“Not now!,” snarled Michaels and Poe drew back. Snap huffed in the background and popped another piece of gum in his mouth. Finn wished for a cigarette. 

They could hear Michaels breathing rapidly and the police rapidly reporting Kylo’s speed and direction. 

“Taking a right on Portland,” a cop said.

“Nothing that way but a retaining wall,” one chimed in. 

“We got him sir,” Michaels said and they could hear an engine revving. Poe cursed and snapped a pencil. 

“I hate not being there,” he groused. At that moment Crosby from Oversight came in and sat next to Finn, ordering the younger man to give him details. Finn gave him a hurried account just as a cop shouted.

“That bastard is going to do it!’

“He’ll never make it!”

“What is it? What?!,” Poe shrieked.

“He’s gonna jump the canal!,” a cop yelled. Then silence and heavy breathing, muffled swears. 

“Sweet mother of Moses,” one said and Finn tried not to laugh. 

“Kylo made it to the other side,” Michaels reported heavily. “Dispatch will send some units over but he’ll be long gone. It’s just a short ride to the interstate.”

“I see,” Poe said, giving Finn a funny look. “Give me a status report as soon as you can on the warehouse. Take what you need. Forensics is on its way from the Gary office.” 

“Copy that,” Michaels said wearily and Poe stabbed the end button. They spent a few moments mulling over what happened and Crosby shuffled from the room. Snap stared at the two men and ran a hand over his two day beard. 

“Well, fuck,” he uttered dispassionately. Finn edged closer to Poe and cocked a brow at him.

“What?,” he asked sotto voce. 

“I’ve known Ben since he was a little kid,” Poe whispered. “And he’s always hated motorcycles.” 

  
  


Rey enjoyed the feel of the motorcycle between her legs and thought about just letting it rip, flying to Poe with the flash drive nestled in her pants. But unbidden the image of the girls caged like animals rose in her mind, the flurry of cops more concerned with catching Kylo than with helping the girls, and her heart hardened.  She dutifully turned the bike toward the midtown parking garage that she and Kylo had settled on and rolled up the ramp to the third level.  

Kylo was standing by the Jeep waiting for her as she rolled up. She slid off the bike, pulling off her helmet and ruffling her sweat covered hair. A thrill ran through her at the open admiration in his eyes and she looked at the open laptop on the passenger side where he was watching the cops flood the scene through the CCTV. She saw EMTs checking on the girls and bounced on the balls of her feet.

“We did it!,” she cheered. “The girls are safe!” Kylo looked at her, eyes crinkling at her excitement. She threw up a hand and he slapped her palm. She took in his lean deadly form and stepped closer to him, inhaling the musky scent of sweat on leather. Kylo tracked her every move, stilling, coiled, waiting. She surged up to her toes, planting her lips on the corner of his mouth, adrenaline and success coursing through her. 

She did not expect his arms to come around her, to crush her to him. She did not expect him to take control of the kiss or for her to give a little hop to wrap her legs around his waist. She did not expect the kiss to be consuming, his mouth devouring hers, his hands nesting in her hair. She did not expect him to whirl them around, her back smacking against the hard frame of the Jeep, his hips rocking against hers.

She pushed at him, twisting her face away.

“No, no, stop,” she gasped and he kissed down her neck, stopping at her shoulders, his breath hot on her skin. 

“Do you really want me to?,” he rumbled and she shuddered as his hips lay heavy against hers, her heart fluttering in her chest. This was too similar, she thought, transported back to the dimly lit hotel room. 

“Stop,” she pleaded and he stepped away, lowering her to the ground. She cleared her throat, running her hands down her front, and moved away from him. She noticed he was staring at her, his mouth open, eyes too flat and too liquid to discern a true emotion. 

“Close that before flies come in,” she warned, opening the back door of the Jeep and pulling out the packet of bleach wipes. She felt his eyes watching her every movement as she hastily wiped down the bike, the heat of his gaze building the warmth in her spine to a boiling heat. She unzipped her jacket and fanned the sides, telling herself it was the humidity from the passing storm, that’s all. 

“That bike trick was smart thinking,” Kylo praised as he tapped on the laptop. “In all the confusion, they never saw me leaving.” Rey hopped into the Jeep and Kylo walked around, sliding into the driver’s side. Rey stared at her hands on her lap. They looked the same as before. Not the hands that helped kill people, not the hands that had clutched to Kylo’s powerful shoulders.

She was such a mess. 

“Any request?,” Kylo inquired.

“Let’s roll,” Rey grunted, turning away from him. Kylo smirked and threw the car into reverse before sedately driving out. The rain had stopped and now the smell of damp asphalt clung to the air. Rey rolled down the window and let the breeze caress her cheeks. 

“We’ll find a truck stop and clean up,” Kylo said after clearing his throat. Rey nodded, her mind a static fuzz, without a single thought able to process its way through the fog. She didn’t know what to make of what happened tonight. Kylo was brutal, a murderer--vicious, unsympathetic, a killing machine yet he tenderly cared for her and seemed genuinely interested in assisting the captives. She thought about what he said about the doctor. 

The rain began again and she rolled up the window, watching the interstate bleed into the small highway that they had chosen. Suddenly the laptop bleeped and Kylo cursed, jerking the car into a fast food parking lot. Rey screeched and grabbed onto the bar as he threw the car into park and picked up the laptop. 

“What is it?,” she demanded.

“The FO has already sent a team in pretending to be part of an ATF FBI task force to hid the evidence,” Kylo got out through gritted teeth. Rey gaped open mouthed at him before shaking her head.

“They really do have their hands everywhere,” she said sadly and Kylo snorted.

“Finally, she believes.” Rey pressed her lips together and thought about the young girls.

“Will they be shipped out again?”

“In a roundabout way, but yes. Most will, anyways.” She sighed and buried her face in her hands.

“What can we do?” Kylo seemed to stiffen at her plaintive tone, shooting her a confused look.

“Rey, this is only going to get worse.”

“It’s okay. I’ve seen it. I know what I need to,” she said, reaching out to lay a hand on his arm. He looked at her hand and at her, chewing on his lower lip.

“If you want to stop it, we have to go for the head. In Chicago. Matthew Brown. He works directly for Thanisson. And he heads up the FO’s midwest human trafficking division.”

“So you are structured like a corporation.”

“Yes,” he said shortly. “If you want to do this, we have to go after Brown in Chicago.” His fingers poised over the keyboard, waiting for her consent. She met his eyes, dark and unfathomable, and nodded.

She was committed to seeing this end.

His fingers flew over the keys and he frowned for a few moments before nodding.

“He’s going to a club tonight.” Rey glanced at the dashboard clock, 6:04pm. 

“Let’s go.” 

“It’s almost 2 hours to Chicago.”

“Oh I’m sure you can beat that,” Rey grinned and Kylo smirked. He shook his head even as he gunned the Jeep out of the lot and back onto the highway. 

“We’ll need to find another store and get me something slinky,” she pointed out, thinking about the clothes sitting in the trunk, now probably being processed for an evidence locker. “And more clothes.” 

“Slinky, eh? What are you thinking?”

“I lure him outside and you take him prisoner.”

“I might torture him, Rey.” And Rey looked over, meeting Kylo’s cool gaze. She thought about the terrified girls, the pools of piss that they cowered in, the bruises mottling their skin. 

“That’s fine.” Brows lifting in surprise, Kylo nodded and turned his attention back to the road. Rey leaned her head on the window, listening to the spatter of rain on the windshield and let her mind drift, remembering the night she and Han went to confront Kylo at his home.

A night much like this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: what happened in Kylo/Ben's kitchen when Rey and Han confronted him 
> 
> Also Matthew Brown is a character from TV's Hannibal. I was totally going to make it Chilton but I just didn't feel like torturing him because my bae goes through so much (TV Chilton is far more endearing than movie Chilton who def deserves to be eaten).


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey remembers the night that she and Han confronted Kylo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind notes.
> 
> This chapter starts in the past.
> 
> Sansacat is a great beta. And yes I know guts can't fall out and can't be pushed in but I took creative license. Sue me.

The night she and Han went to confront Kylo had started a little differently. She was dressing to go out with Jess and Ardelia Mapp. They were heading out for terrible fondue, cocktails, and maybe a little dancing. It was an unusually warm night and they were all slipping on flirty little dresses and pink lip gloss and gilding highlighter across their cheeks.

Rey wanted a bright pink martini, oozy cheese, and the sweet, vaguely vicious gossip. She wanted the sly looks from men at the bar, the brashness of Jess’s laugh, and the sharpness of Ardelia’s wit. Most of all, she wanted to forget.

Banish from her mind what happened at the hotel. She shivered as she remembered the weight of Ben’s cock pressed against her damp panties, his mouth a fire on her neck, his fingers branding her as his. But then she looked and she couldn’t stop herself from looking, really looking at him, and all the evidence fell together. Kylo Ren had been the one rocking against her--Kylo Ren’s mouth was the one sucking her breasts that night and she loathed herself for it.

She had fallen for the devil.

But now she had a chance for the light and she would seize it greedily with both fists, cling to it, and follow her friends into a simple, ordinary life. That’s all she ever wanted. (All she ever wanted was Ben, a dark part of her whispered seductively. Rey pushed it aside but she couldn’t ignore the niggling feeling, lodged deep in her conscience, that, in fact, despite of what she knew, she was still in love with him.)

As Rey slipped on the gold chandelier earrings, chuckling over Ardela’s snide comment about a classmate, there came a knock on the dorm door. Shaking her head, Rey opened it and stepped back, startled.

“Cover up,” she hissed over her shoulder at her half dressed roommate as she closed the door, wedging herself in the crack. Han gave her a half smile and ran a hand through his short thinning grey hair.

“We gotta go tonight, kid,” he said gruffly by way of greeting. Rey frowned and shook her head.

“Why? It’s just conjecture, there’s no real evidence,” she hedged, not wanting to leave the safety of her room. Han shook his head and held up a flash drive.

“Yes, there is, too much.” Rey’s eyes darted between the small black device to Han’s mournful eyes.

“You know,” she said simply. And Han nodded, a creaky broken motion, and Rey’s heart began to sing a dirge for her and Ben. The same one it had been singing for three days now since the hotel room, but she had not been prepared for Han to know. She hadn’t explained her full suspicions to him.

But he had made the jump and his eyes were haunted and empty.

“You should wait, talk to your wife,” Rey suggested softly. Han snorted.

“She’s off rubbing elbows with those suits on K street. She doesn’t even know who our son is except a way to leverage more money for her committee,” Han spat bitterly. Rey stepped back, startled. Han had spoken wryly of Leia before but never bitterly.

“Look, kid, I appreciate all you’ve done and you got a real future ahead of you. But you either come with me tonight or you read it in the papers tomorrow.”

“And what do you think I’ll read in the papers tomorrow?”

“Kylo Ren apprehended or FBI agent goes missing. Either or. You’ll help him decide and you know it. You can help him decide to go to Luke for help,” Han replied tersely. Rey bit her lip and cursed under her breath. She held up a finger and slipped back into the room. She grabbed her sweater, mumbling apologies to Jess and Ardelia. Jess grabbed her arm and pulled her back, eyes crinkling in concern.

“Why now Rey?” she demanded and Ardelia nodded.

“Can’t it wait?” Ardelia chimed in. Reluctantly, Rey disentangled her arm from Jess’s grip and stepped away, eyes grim. Despite Han’s warning, Rey knew that if he were here, then time was running out. Because if she and Han knew, then it was likely that the First Order would suspect someone was getting closer to the truth. The truth about who the First Order was, how it was run, and just how deeply it’s tentacles were entwined around every branch of government in the United States, every corporate office that glittered on Wall Street, every producer that ever leered his way through Hollywood.

“Sorry, guys. I’ll catch up with you later,” Rey promised and followed Han out to the parking lot. Chewie was in the driver’s seat of the old 1977 Falcon. Rey took a seat in the creaky back seat and went over the plan with Han as they drove to Ben’s colonial style home in The Plains, Virginia.

The first floor windows were blazing with light when they pulled up. Han snapped open his glove box and pulled out a stun gun.

“Do you really think this is the best idea?” Rey whispered. Her heart, a sludgy resistant thing, picked up and beat an uneven tattoo in her chest. She was sure her pulse was apparent in her neck, jumping and sharp, as her heels tapped loudly on the cobblestones leading to the front door. She wished for a jacket, her skin gooseflesh even in the unseasonably warm night. She wondered why she didn’t change her shoes.

“It’s just a conversation, right, Han,” she tittered nervously. Chewie snorted and disappeared, swallowed by the shadows, as he slipped around the far side of the house. Fear stabbed her then, paralyzing her, and Rey realized what they were going to do.

“It’s either us or them, Rey. I’m gonna subdue him. Chewie’s has a dart gun. I’m gonna get him out of here before the First Order finds out,” Han replied grimly. Rey stared at him, crestfallen, sympathy for the father warring with her natural impulse to call it in.

“Justice, Han. Don’t the families deserve to know?” Rey demanded and Han gave a wry chuckle.

“There’s no such thing as justice, only theatre,” Han said and Rey wrinkled her nose.

“Not with that attitude,” she retorted and Han raised one sardonic brow. She wasn’t sure how he was able to load one action with some much sarcasm but it was a trait he shared with his son.

Han lifted one slightly trembling finger and pressed the doorbell. Rey jumped as the cheery chime rang loudly. Planters were on the small steps leading down the walkway, dormant for the winter. There was an old Easter wreath on the door, spring flowers threaded throughout the ash branches.

It didn’t look like the home of a serial killer.

“They never do,” Han said to her unspoken thought as the door opened and Ben paused, cocking his head. He wore a pair of ratty old jeans and a navy blue crew neck, sleeves pushed up his arms. He stared flatly at his dad before his gaze flickered over to her, eyes widening slightly. Rey could feel his eyes lingering on her sweetheart neckline, on her throat, on the amount of leg the dress showed. Far more than he ever saw, even when he caught her running on the track.

“Ahem,” Ben cleared his throat. “Dad. Kenobi. What brings you here?”

“Just here for a visit, son,” Han said, hands open as he pushed past Ben. “Where’s the beer?” Ben turned to look at Rey as Han stomped back and frowned at Rey. She hunched her shoulders and gave a half shrug, refusing to meet his eyes. He narrowed his and Rey couldn’t move.  
  
If I don’t move, he can’t see me, a primal part of her mind screamed at her. This is what it was like to be a deer sighted by a wolf in the woods. Ben’s face was closed, unreadable, his eyes scanning her face for any sign of what they were doing there.

She forced herself to smile cheerfully, focusing her gaze at a point behind his shoulder. Blowing out his air, Ben ran a hand through his slightly rumpled hair and beckoned her inside.

“Can I get you anything?” he inquired solicitously, his hand hovering near her elbow as he guided her toward the kitchen.

“No thanks,” she answered hoarsely. The hallway narrowed as it turned into the kitchen and Ben bumped into her, large hands spanning her waist as he whirled her around and shoved her against the wall. Her heart leapt into her throat and she brought her hands up, slapping his chest. He gripped them tightly, rubbing her wrists together and raising them above her head. Rey inhaled sharply. Ben searched her face and she squirmed away, all too aware that her eyes told everything. She could feel the dream slipping between her fingers and Ben chuckled lowly.

“Too smart for your own good, Kenobi,” he murmured, bending down to rest his forehead against hers. She gasped and attempted to twist away; he only pressed her wrists together and caged her in with his large body. She keened quietly and looked at him, the whites of her eyes bright in the dark room, her broken heart racing at a breakneck speed and she couldn’t breathe damnit, not because of fear, but because he was gazing at her with regret.

“Let me go,” she pleaded, hoping to reach some part of him that cared for her.

“I’m being torn in two,” he wheezed and she saw the grief lining his face.

“Who died?” she asked stupidly, her mind blank at the sight of such loss. He was bleeding, she thought, recognizing the broken spirit in him as the same as the one as hers. She wondered if his heart had as many scars as hers, how they both were able to function when they’d been shredded repeatedly.

“You’re a monster,” she managed to hiss and Ben chuckled lowly in her ear.

“My sweet, darling Rey. How I longed for you to know the truth. How I wanted you to see me,” he said chokingly. He dropped one hand to cradle her face and bent down to tenderly press his lips against the corner of her mouth.

“What is dark in me, illuminate,” he sighed and let her go, his thumb rubbing her wrists before letting them fall go. She watched in amazement as he drew the darkness around him like a cloak until the affectionate, funny, incisive man she had fallen for was replaced by a dark avenging angel, eyes pitilessly furnaces of judgment, his entire air lacking of any sort of sympathy or pity.

“Go before I find a reason to call on you later,” Ben taunted. No, not Ben. Kylo Ren. He turned and walked toward the kitchen and Rey lurched forward, wheezing, air grating her throat as she inhaled.

She watched dumbfounded as Han hurled through the air at Ben. Ben ducked gracefully, turning to grab Han and wrench him in mid air by the waist, and slamming him into the wall.

“Stop!,” Rey screeched. Han thrust himself up, the stun gun in his hand, pointing at Ben. Ben smirked.

“What did you hope would come of this, Han?,” Ben taunted. “Did you think you and mother could put me away somewhere?’

“Your mother wants to save you,” Han spat at him, gun aimed at Ben, wavering slightly in the air. Ben snorted.

“You think she has the right to judge me? After what she’s done?,” Ben snarled. He gestured roughly to Rey, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her into the bright kitchen light, his fingers dug into her soft flesh. She gasped as she realized Chewie was slumped through the kitchen patio door, a dart sticking out of his neck. Ben must have known the entire time.

Adrenaline racing through her, Rey kicked out, hitting his shin, before turning into him and grabbing his wrist in a solid hold. She tucked herself into him and knelt to flip him over her shoulder.

Too late she forgot that he was the one who taught her these moves.

Ben twirled the opposite direction, jerking her wrist. Rey yelped as her shoulder strained and Ben reached across to throw her past him, her momentum aiding him successfully slamming her into the kitchen island. Her breath was punched out of her as the edge hit her midsection and she scrambled for a purchase as Ben kicked at the back of her knees.

She collapsed to the ground and for good measure, he pulled out a pair of cuffs and waved them at her.

At that moment, Han rushed him. Ben contorted his spine to the side, reaching out to grab the gun and jerking Han’s arm down. Han punched Ben in the kidney and Ben growled, twisting his father’s arm back so that the gun fell. Ben kicked it aside and shoved his dad away from him, Han grabbing onto to the counter.

“Come with us!” Han cried, desperation thick in his voice. Ben shook his head, almost towering over them both.

“It’s too late for that, Dad. There’s no hope for me,” Ben taunted. Ben grabbed a gleaming knife from the block and flung it at Han. Han jerked aside as the knife embedded itself in the cabinet and gazed at Ben in shock.

“You don’t mean to do this,” Han said. Ben titled his head.

“You know how this will end,” he tersely replied. He moved forward quickly and Han jerked the knife out of the cabinet, ducking under Ben’s arm to swipe at his chest. Ben leapt back so that the knife nicked his side only. Ben grabbed a dinner towel and snapped it around Han’s arm, flinging his arm to the side. He punched his father squarely in the jaw. Rey screamed and lashed out with her legs, Ben leaping over them to land awkwardly and stagger upright. Han wiped the blood off his face and Ben ripped another knife from the block, this one deadly and thin, a filleting blade, and flipped it in the air.

“You shouldn’t have come, Dad,” he said darkly. “You’ve no idea what you’re getting involved in.”

“You joined the First Order! I’ve seen the bodies!,” Han barked and Ben spread his hands.

“But did you really see?,” he taunted. “If you let me go, I’ll let you live with minimal damage.”

“I taught you how to fight, I’ll show you how to end one,” Han threatened and Ben chuckled breathlessly.

“Your funeral,” he shrugged and jabbed with his left. Han weaved through the shot and Ben snapped another fist toward his sternum. He hit Han squarely in the chest and Han’s air exploded out of him, grunting loudly. Ben was a flurry of fists, moving quickly to hammer Han in the stomach, dropping once to shove his fist into Han’s knee, causing it crunch loudly before he shoved his elbow in Han’s throat. Han fell back, hands immediately going to his throat, his breaths harsh and thready, eyes wide with fear as he strained to breathe. Ben dropped the knife and shook his head furiously.  

Rey shouted wordlessly and scrambled to her feet. Ben sprung toward her, latched a hand around her neck and shoved her back. She fell against the wine rack, arms sweeping out to catch herself, glasses shattering on the floor, now flooded crimson from the broken bottles.  

“Get out!,” he snarled at her. He turned back to his father to sneer: “And you brought her with you. Idiot!” Rey could hardly allow herself time to wonder at the venom in his voice. She launched herself at him again, this time dodging his fists. She crouched low and punched his stomach before reaching up to grab his arm and to wrench it behind him. Ben clawed her face, his nails scoring her skin, and she slapped him, grabbing his hair and pulling hard. She stomped on his instep and punched his cheek, skin tearing on her knuckles.

With a yell, Ben headbutted her. Reeling in pain, Rey fell to the ground, her head knocking the edge of the counter as she went down. Ben roared wordlessly at her. Through a haze of pain, Rey watched him look at her and Han and snarl.

Han suddenly leapt on Ben’s back, wrapping the kitchen towel around his neck and pulling hard. Ben scrabbled for a purchase but Han had the higher ground, kicking at Ben’s knees forcing him to the ground and to lurch forward, with Han tightening the towel. Ben’s shoulders quivered, his face turning red as his nails tore the flesh at his neck as he dug for a purchase on the towel, his breath rattling in his chest. Han was grunting with the effort, one knee in Ben’s back. After an eternity, Ben slumped completely, his eyes closing, and Rey felt the guilt seize her.

“I am arresting Ben Solo under the jurisdiction of the FBI,” she rasped as she tried to get her feet underneath her. She slid on her cell phone and dialed 911, identifying herself to the operator. At that moment, Ben’s fingers curled around a piece of glass and his hand flashed up to shove the sliver into Han’s hand. Blood spurted out and Han hollered, loosening his grip on the towel. Ben darted forward and snatched the knife from the floor.

“Time to end this,” he spat and turned to face his father. Han yanked the glass out of his hand and tossed it on the ground, the piece splashing into the puddles of wine. He immediately went for his gun, thumb pushing back the strap when Ben took two strides toward him, arm slashing widely.

Han’s eyes widened and Rey couldn’t stop screaming, astonished at the shrieks tearing from her throat. She scrambled on hands and knees toward Han who was holding his guts in his hands. And as she slipped through the blood and wine, Han lifted one soaked hand to cup Ben’s face gently.

“My son,” he whispered before falling to his knees, a clear blood red handprint on Ben’s flushed cheeks. Rey didn’t see Ben shiver as she ran to Han, trying to shove his intestines back into him. He watched them both, his shirt soaked in sweat and blood, a cut bleeding freely under his eyes, his hair a riot of curls. She glanced briefly up at him to see the darkness swallowing him, his dark eyes merciless and calculating. The Ben she loved was truly gone.

She shuddered and scrambled for Han’s hand. He held her lightly and she could feel the life ebbing out of him. She sobbed.

“Let him live,” she pleaded. “For me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Han butted in weakly. He looked up at Ben and she could see his bloody handprint clear on Ben’s flushed cheek. “I forgive you, Ben.” Ben trembled then and agony flashed across his face. His lower lip seemed to quiver and he was Ben again, the lost, confused boy she had grown to love.

“Please,” she croaked, her throat a fire and raw mess.  His eyes darted to meet hers and she knew that he meant her no harm. Rising unsteadily to her legs, she walked across to him. “We can fix this.” Ben laughed harshly, a sob catching in his throat.

“There’s no going back, Rey. The world we had is gone. All we have now is our lost paradise.”

“Did we ever have it?,” she questioned. He smiled tremulously and cupped her face in his hands.

“You could come with me,” he said with a crooked smile and bent to kiss her. She wrenched back and his lips grazed her chin. He gazed at her sadly and then whirled her around, wrapping his arm around her throat. She could faintly hear the tinny voice of the dispatcher in the background hollering.

“Our states cannont be severed. We are one, one flesh. To lose thee were to lose myself,” Ben whispered in her ear.  “I hear the ambulance down the road. You’ll all live.” He offered his dad a crooked smile. “For however long the First Order decides thatis.”

“You can still can come home, son,” Han pleaded.   
Rey scratched at Ben’s eyes, slapping him with her free arm, all while she tried to pry the tightening grip off her neck. Darkness swam behind her eyes and Rey began sobbing in earnest, her breath shallow even as the tears tracked through the caking blood on her face.   
Ben took her weight, gently holding her to him. The edges of her vision went black and she reached out for Han, fingers brushing the empty air.  

“What home?” Ben replied conversationally. “There never was one for me, even as you made one for her.”

“Don’t,” she gasped.

“I would never,” he promised even as she slipped into blackness.   
The last thing she saw was his face as he cradled her to him and laid her gently on the ground next to Han.

 

* * *

 

 

Rey awoke with a jolt as Kylo slammed the car to a hard stop. She reached up to touch her throat, swallowing the fiery lump that had settled there during the short drive.

“Are you okay?” he asked. She shook her head, surveying the shopping district. It was laid out like a false little plaza, complete with fake gas street lamps. She opened the door and breathed in the thick warm air. Lightning flickered purple in the distance.

“Buy whatever you need for the club, and I guess, to make up for what you lost. We’ll grab some dinner, and then head to a hotel,” Kylo commanded. She rolled her shoulders, stepping away from his outreached hand, and tossed her hair.

“Let’s split up,” she suggested. Kylo merely studied her, brows knitting together, before he handed her some money and she trotted off to the nearest store. She couldn’t shake the dream, the memory really, of that night. She wondered desperately how Han was doing, how Chewie was doing, and if Leia had heard about what had happened. 

They had left the truck at the warehouse, meaning the FBI had to know by now that she was involved.

There go your dreams, she thought, as she flipped through flimsy little dresses. She lost herself in the pleasure of shopping, grimacing at the bruises along her arms and legs.   
  
Well that’ll narrow down the choices,   
  
she thought grimly before settling on a neat black romper. She then debated between shiny silver mary jane heels or black ones with a neat little ankle strap. An associate noticed her indecision and pointed out ankle high black boots and she admired them, before counting the cash Kylo gave her and shrugging.

No sense in not having a little fun.

She stopped and got a frappucino, enjoying the sweet icy drink, bags swinging in her hands as she ducked into a make up shop. She could be normal, she thought, chatting with an associate about highlighter. Then she noticed the TV outside, showcasing the warehouse and Kylo Ren’s face. She stepped outside the shop.  

“Notorious serial killer Kylo Ren has destroyed a warehouse, local officials reported,” the newscaster said, his voice hard. Rey seized up and glanced around wildly. A few older people paused to watch the screen in the plaza but most carried on as usual. “No one was harmed except police aren’t sure why the notorious murderer has moved into arson. In a bizarre twist of events, he destroyed the property and then abducted an FBI agent.” The man droned on as the screen showed a shot of a burning warehouse before bumping to her FBI academy photo. The anchor announced that the FBI had given a press conference and they switched over to Poe speaking into a microphone, Finn behind him. She listened intently, noting the circles under his eyes and the stubble lining Finn’s chin. Her heart ached as none of them talked about the FO sex trafficking operation there.

“Authorities are asking that you call this number. Do not approach either suspect,” the man said, the camera pulling back to place both anchors in the frame.

“To complicate matters, the Washington Post has just posted an article suggesting that the FBI agent aided Kylo Ren in his escape.” Rey’s eyes widened and her heart seized in her chest. The FO were now targeting her?!

To be honest, she wasn’t quite surprised by the turn of events--after all, destroying her credibility would allow them to easily dispose of any evidence she might bring to light--but to hear a bottle blond repeat the statement on national television caused her to burn in a way she hadn’t known possible. Rey’s hands curled into fists, her nails biting into her palm, as she turned on her heel and marched to an electronics store where everything gleamed white and glass. Slipping in among anxious parents buying graduation gifts, Rey picked up a phone. It was connected to the wifi and she tapped in Poe’s number.

  
_What the hell Poe? Going after me like that?!_

  
_Who is this?_

  
_It’s Rey._

  
_Are you okay? We had nothing to do with that!_   
  
_I want to know why you’re keeping details on the ST hidden. You know it’s true! You saw the op go down!_   
  
_…._   
  
_…._   


Rey tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Poe’s response.

  
_Rey you need to turn yourself in._   
 

Rey snarled at the text and slammed the phone down. The couple looked over at her in surprise and she smiled toothily at them. 

“Ex looking for a hookup,” she said and the mother nodded.

“Don’t give it to him, sweetheart,” she encouraged and Rey smiled, heading over to the laptops. She fished the flash drive out of her hand and checked to see if the email worked. She created a fake account that would delete in 15 minutes and began to attach documents, sending it all to Poe and Finn. They couldn’t deny the CCTV footage.

And, just for fun, she also sent it over to TattleCrime, a notorious blog that posted conspiracy theories.

“Hi! Do you need help with anything?” chirped a bright voice at her elbow. Rey looked up startled at Alex, the tag proclaimed, a genius. She minimized the window with a flick of her finger.

“Um, no I was just checking out the processing speed of this unit,” she stammered. Alex smiled and stepped closer to her, his chest brushing her arm.

“This unit is a great laptop, durable, excellent speeds, and sleek. Could fit into a purse. Are you a big purse or a small purse kind of girl?” he asked batting his eyelashes. His arm came up to rest on her lower back and Rey stiffened.

“Ah, Kira,” Kylo rumbled from behind her. “I found you at last.” Alex coughed and stepped away as Kylo loomed over him. His damp hair was tousled and he had procured a leather jacket.

“Do you two know each other?” he asked lamely, eyes widening at Kylo’s large frame. Kylo lay a possessive arm across Rey’s shoulder and she leaned into him, flicking the mousepad. All documents sent. She signed out while Kylo huffed at Alex and pulled out her flash drive.

“Isn’t it a nice system sweetheart?,” she wheedled and Kylo looked down his nose at her.

“I’m a Windows man myself,” he replied and she sighed, defeated, She smiled apologetically at Alex as Kylo led her out of the store.

“You were not kidding about the FO,” she said as soon they were out. Kylo steered her toward a crowded Chinese restaurant and she told him about what she saw. He pulled his hat lower, looking out of the corner of his eyes, while she shoveled lo mein into her mouth.

“Are you okay?” Kylo asked abruptly. “You seemed pretty skittish when you woke up and you kept touching your throat.” Rey’s mouth went dry and she took a swallow of her tea.

“I was remembering the night that Han and I…”

“Why?”

“Because it seems like a lifetime ago. Another me ago,” she answered voice thick with regret. Kylo licked his lips and leaned forward, arms straining the fabric of his shirt.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“It sure didn’t seem like it.”

“I gave you a chance in the hallway.”

“How was I to say no? With Han and Chewie there?” Kylo gripped her wrists and she twisted them out of his grasp.

“You knew I could have killed you.”

“Han thought that since he was your dad…,” she trailed off and looked out the window at the groups of shoppers passing by. Thunder rolled overhead and she stood.

“We need to go.”

“How did the police arrive so quickly?” Kylo asked her as they hustled to the car, bags bouncing against legs.

“Ardelia didn’t trust what I was saying and she called down to Finn who was with some LEOs. She relied her suspicions and Finn asked them to check it out. They were on their way when I had called 911.”

“What would have happened if we were in the kitchen just chatting?” Kylo asked as he slipped in the car and thumbed on his phone. He typed in an address and plugged in the aux cable, a cool voice telling them to go south on Cunningham Drive.

“There were a lot of what ifs that night,” Rey rasped quietly. And Kylo said nothing.

 

 

 

In Quantico, Finn stared at the report, shaking his head. He perused the email he had received from a deleted account. An email sent to his personal email address rather than his FBI one so that it would bypass all protocols. And it told a chilling story, one that had him racing down the halls to shake Poe up from another damn nap.

 

In DC, Senator Leia Organa drew her finger across her lip, frowning as Wolf Blitzer spoke to a criminal psychologist about why Kylo Ren would be going after warehouses. Frederick Chilton blustered on about poor relationships, and frigid mothers, and expectations to perform. Leia threw her whiskey glass at the TV. Her assistant, Carise Sindian, bustled in to clean it up, casting a worried glance at the senator before she hurried out and began sending a flurry of texts.

 

In New York, Snoke reviewed his latest quarterly reports while Phasma lounged in a chair, iPad on her lap. Hux stormed in a moment later and slapped a file down in front of Snoke.

“He must be stopped!” he snarled. Snoke didn’t deign to look up. He continued to type away while the TV blared on about the monstrosities committed by Kylo Ren and the innocent agent trapped with him.

Snoke chuckled, a raspy rattling sound that caused Phasma to shiver. “An innocent, hmm? Better call that reporter again, Hux. He was too delicate in his hits. I want them to rip her apart.”

“Something like Rey was fucking Kylo before he was captured? A story like that?” Phasma inquired, quickly catching on to Snoke’s thought. Hux tossed her a brief look, taking in her lean frame, her ink black suit with the deep v neck and several silver chains. Her lips were painted a scarlet red and her platinum hair finely coiffed and he wanted nothing more than to bend her back in her chair and thoroughly fuck that mouth, red lips staining his cock as he spit cum all over her. As if catching his thought, Phasma raised one disdainful brow and smirked before turning back to Snoke. Hux’s ears turned red as he whirled to watch the TV.

“She’s an interesting one,” Snoke commented. “I say we get it out that perhaps she’s not as innocent as she seems. Bring up the infractions on her file. She shot Jacobs without provocation and was found in a state of semi-undress. Perhaps all her visits to Kylo at the hospital weren’t so innocent. Perhaps she was giving our boy good ol’ fellatio when she was visiting him.”

“There are tapes at the hospital,” Hux pointed out snidely and Phasma sighed.

“Tapes can be altered dear boy,” Snoke all but sneered, pointing a gold washed pen at his general. Hux sighed internally. These sorts of schemes always required so much more work than was truly necessary.

“We don’t actually have Mitaka’s report to show a journalist. He never did file it,” Phasma pointed out and Snoke shrugged.

“We’ve got others so it’ll be easy to forge, please, Gwennie, be real. I know you like the girl but she’s obviously turned our boy against us.”

“Do you think she knows?” Hux asked and Snoke shrugged.

“It’s possible.” Snoke tilted his ancient head, his eyes sunken into his cadaverous face. “She’s a beautiful girl I’ll give her that. She’s strong too. I bet she got a taste of him and liked it. Spitters are quitters and she ain’t no quitter.” Phasma suppressed a shudder at Snoke’s words and stood up.

“I’ll make arrangements with our journalist.”

“I’ll do it,” Hux stated.

“Please,” Phasma scoffed. “We both know this requires a far more...delicate touch than you have.” Snoke wheezed, his attempt at a chuckle, as the two glared at one another.

“They are heading to Chicago, I bet,” Hux eventually snapped.

“Agreed. Let Matthew know they are coming. He’s the next target.

“He’s slated to be at our club downtown tonight.”

Snoke steepled his fingers and opened up his First Order app. “Good. Let them come. It’s time for Kylo to see what real power is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spitters are quitters is slang, I know, but I was thinking of Mason Verger Season 3 of Hannibal.
> 
> This chapter owes a huge debt to Mizumono the greatest hour of television ever. Some people say its almost flawless but I'm not sure where that almost comes from. 
> 
> Matthew Brown is a character in TV's Hannibal. He's fun and interesting and a good foil for Hanners. Ardelia Mapp is Clarice's roommate and best friend in both Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. TattleCrime in Red Dragon is a notorious tabloid and it becomes a website in Hannibal the TV show. 
> 
> And for those of you who have read Bloodline by Claudia Gray, there is a huge hint about what's going on with Leia. 
> 
> In the beginning, Kylo is quoting Paradise Lost to Rey. He is quoting Milton himself with what is dark in me, illumine (an entreaty to let the truth come forward) and the second (our state cannot be severed) is Adam to Eve after she's eaten the forbidden fruit. 
> 
> Rey's outfit for the next chapter which involves clubbing, fighting, shower scenes, and sweet sweet sexual tension. [Black Romper](http://us.asos.com/asos/asos-wrap-front-jersey-romper-with-short-sleeve/prd/7951291?affid=14174&channelref=product+search&mk=abc&currencyid=2&ppcadref=753857711%7C38363061966%7Cpla-493434873112&gclid=Cj0KEQjwkN3KBRCu2fWmy9LLqN4BEiQANP9-WsOVwunDJTYkIi5kQB1OYV5ueI-zTnep0EUCIZfabfkaAm1s8P8HAQ)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo go to the club to dance the night away and to trap Matthew Brown.
> 
> Trigger warnings all over the place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are wondering when they gonna get it on, Chapter 15 is gonna be your friend. Thanks to everyone for your kudos and comments. I love you guys so much. And thanks to Sansacat for slogging through multiple versions of this chapter. You're the best. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Rey's Romper ](http://us.asos.com/asos/asos-wrap-front-jersey-romper-with-short-sleeve/prd/7951291?affid=14174&channelref=product+search&mk=abc&currencyid=2&ppcadref=753857711%7C38363061966%7Cpla-493434873112&gclid=Cj0KEQjwkN3KBRCu2fWmy9LLqN4BEiQANP9-WsOVwunDJTYkIi5kQB1OYV5ueI-zTnep0EUCIZfabfkaAm1s8P8HAQ)
> 
>  
> 
> Music for the dancing:  
> [Baptism by Crystal Castles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vStjmYxetY0)
> 
> [Empathy"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-v3sVWT8pA) (What they dance to together)  
> Or, if you prefer, [Kiiara Whippin' ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK7A-WdXW_A)
> 
> This chapter has heavy trigger warnings for threats of rape, non-con, and extreme violence.

Kylo navigated the Jeep through the crowded lanes of downtown Chicago while lightning flashed and thunder munched along swollen, distended clouds. He watched as Rey shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. He flipped on the heater as the rain poured down in sheets and the windows turned foggy. Rey squinted through the window to gape at Navy Pier with lightning arcing behind it. 

“I always wanted to visit Chicago,” she said forlornly. Kylo bit his lip and shook his head as he turned into an underground parking lot. He held her hand and she let him as they raced through the rain, water splashing on their shins as the overhead train rattled above them. They ducked into an art deco building where Kylo rapidly checked them into a suite. When they arrived at their room, Rey immediately went to the bathroom and grabbed a towel to scrub her wet hair.

“We have an hour to make to it the club,” he informed her. She nodded and began rummaging through her bags.

“I’ve got dibs on the shower,” she declared and strode into the bathroom. Kylo busied himself by dumping out the toiletries. He had booked a business suite with two full sized beds and two sinks. One was tucked just inside a corner opposite the door to the bathroom. He took a few moments to trim his beard, frowning at the moles dotting his face.

Rey never made him conscious about himself, he ruminated. He was always aware of his body. His large frame, his larger ears (now hidden by his longer hair and he planned to keep it that way), his long nose, his moles, and freckles. He was always conscious of how easily he could loom over someone, how careful he had to be when he touched someone. He thought about the bruises on her legs and arms and gripped the edge of the sink tightly. He hadn’t wanted to harm her that night in his kitchen. He had implored her to leave.

She was too damn good, he growled, and while seeing the news had proven his point about the FO, he doubted that she would truly join his side to take them down. She would try to keep both feet in each camp. He blew out his breath and tried not to dwell on it. She wanted to take down Brown and he would encourage it. Let her take the lead. See what it took, he thought grimly as he smeared toothpaste on his brush. See how far she would push herself. 

He was scrolling through the stolen laptop, reading emails between the warehouse director and Matthew Brown and Thanisson when the bathroom door opened. Rey stepped out in a puff of steam and it was all that he could do to not rise off the bed, press her against the wall, and ravage her.

She was wearing a black romper with a deep v neck that went almost to her belly button. The fluted sleeves went to her elbow and the shorts fell mid thighs. Almost all her bruises were covered, he noted, mouth going dry as she turned and revealed the triangle cut out in the back exposing more of her bronzed skin. 

He darkly thought about how he would murder anyone who touched that patch of skin. 

She padded toward him in her bare feet, leaning over his shoulder to look at the screen. He shifted on the bed, his pants suddenly too tight, as her scent brushed him. Linden blossom and jasmine and lime. It was always bright and warm and intoxicating and without thinking he pressed his nose into her throat. Rey gasped and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her still. 

“Don’t,” he snarled and she froze, her heart fluttering against her neck. He lay his lips against that jumping pulse and inhaled deeply, tongue darting out to flick against her skin, teeth scraping over flesh. Goosebumps rose on her arms and he ran his thumb along the bared skin on her back.

“You’re going to get me into trouble,” he growled and she pulled away gently, moving his hands off of her. She eyed him warily, her lips a thin line before he cleared his throat and grabbed his clothes, bumping into her as he hurried to the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror as the shower ran behind him, torn in that moment, between what he had thought of as his two halves. 

Ben Solo wanted to run into the room, confess everything to her, sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless. He would show her his true vision, shatter her world, and bring it back together. He would keep her safe, he would make her happy, his lips would trail down her arms and her legs and he would devote himself to her every need just to have her bestow a smile upon him, hear her cheery laugh, his finger curling her hair as they watched TV.

Kylo Ren also wanted to march into that room and fling her on to the bed and show her exactly who she was. She was darkness, hers mirrored in his, identically opposite, and despite her best efforts she was being reeled in, she was tasting her own darkness. As he thought about her, about her growing darkness, Kylo stepped in the shower and took himself in hand, running his hand along his length, thinking about her arching beneath him, her mouth open, her skin a delicious peach in the low lamp light. He would suckle and savor, bruises blooming along her neck and her throat and her tits and he would show her how to move, drenched in sweat, her ass pressed against him as he thrust into her, his large hands rubbing his cum along her breasts as he smeared it along in her lips, dipping his fingers in her mouth. 

It was that thought that had him coming in the shower, shoulders shaking, his breath rasping in his throat. Kylo shuddered, propping himself up, as he realized just how far he had gone. 

And how he could never come back. 

 

Rey  puttered around the room, getting everything put away, finished putting on her make up, nervously looking at the bathroom door and waiting for Kylo to emerge. Her body still trembled as she thought about the way he had kissed her neck even while she berated herself for encouraging him. That kiss had made matters worse. She heard his hoarse cry through the thin door and gripped the dresser tightly as a shiver raced up her spine, her hair raising at the nape of her neck

Rey cleared her throat and turned away, focusing on pacing the room in her ankle high black boots to break them in. She worked some makeup along the cut on her throat and her bruises so they were less obvious. She couldn’t think about what was prompting Kylo, couldn’t think about her body growing warm in response, couldn’t think about slipping into the shower with him, seeing the water bead down his chest. She could hear the blow dryer whining in the bathroom and wiped her damp palms on her romper. 

Finally, Kylo emerged and her jaw dropped. His hair was a perfect storm of fluff, his face drawn and serious. He was wearing a simple black Henley and dark blue jeans. She coughed and pointed toward the concealer. 

“Thanks,” he replied gruffly. She noted how easily he padded it under his eye.

“You’ve done this before.”

“I didn’t always emerge unscathed from my weekend adventures. I was actually pretty sure you saw a bruise one day until Poe started talking about how we used to box.” 

Rey nodded, smiling slightly. “Yes I thought perhaps you kept it up.

“In a way,” Kylo cockily replied and she shook her head. She pulled out the cheap necklace from the store, a long chain with a silver leaf that lay right in the valley between her breasts, drawing the eyes to them. 

Rey thought she understood what to do with men who stared at her tits. Until she looked in the mirror and caught Kylo staring at them, his lips pursed together. 

“We should go,” she suggested cautiously. And he nodded, putting his gun in a holster along his back and slipping on a black blazer.

“You’re weaponless,” he said. 

“I’m also ID-less. How are you getting us in the club?” Kylo grinned, his eyes crinkling.

“First Order privileges, baby.” 

  
  


To Rey’s surprise they were let in without a question and her eyes widened as she surveyed the club. She was expecting something posh based on the line outside. But the interior was dark and hidden, a converted warehouse with bars tucked away in corners and dark red leather couches lining the walls. She noticed the second level along the main floor had several areas behind curtains. 

“Private rooms,” Kylo answered, steering her toward a bar. “What do you drink?” He frowned, his brow tightening. “Actually, Kenobi, what  _ do _ you drink?” Rey grinned. 

“Double vodka martini, no ice, two olives,” she replied flippantly.  Kylo imperiously raised a brow.

“Shaken not stirred?” Rey crinkled her nose.

“What a way to ruin a drink.” He laughed, a sudden boisterous sound that had her heart seizing up and her stomach clenching tightly.  _ It could have been this way _ , she thought before shaking her head and banishing the regrets. 

“Best to leave me here!” she shouted over the music that was beginning to pulse through the room. 

“Let you be prey to the men looking for a good time?” She noted the darkness creeping into his eyes and grinned cheekily. 

“Something like that!”

“Matthew likes women who like to be dominated,” Kylo almost yelled in her ear. She flinched for a moment and he pressed some twenties in her hand before fading into the crowd. She blinked and looked around. For a tall man, he could certainly blend in easily. 

Rey snagged a stool and ordered her first martini, smiling flirtatiously at the bartender. She spent a delightful couple of minutes with a couple looking for a third wheel. She tapped her feet and had more than a few men ask her if she wanted to dance. After about an hour of scanning the crowd and on her second martini, she agreed. Rey took the handsome stranger’s hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

The electronic music was a lo-fi vortex, a ferocious and feral beat with bruising staccato bursts and a haunting voice alternately screaming and mourning. Rey found herself dragged under the beat, arms over her head, hips gyrating, smiling at the young man with hope stamped on his face. His hands grazed her hips, fingers tripping up her spine and resting against the open patch at the back. His eyes constantly flickered away from her face to her breasts, swaying with her, sweat gleaming on her bronzed skin. 

Rey felt wanted and she exalted in it, twirling in a slow circle, swinging her hips out, his hands sliding along her ass. This is what it could have been like, she thought drunkenly, letting loose with a loud yelp of joy. She was heady from the heat of the bodies writhing around her, the charms of her fellow sirens, intoxicated by the worshipful stares as she moved sinuously beneath the flashing rose and violet lights. 

Her partner moved suddenly, caging her to him with surprising strength, his lips hovering over hers. 

“You’re gorgeous!” he screamed and she grinned, bopping on her feet. She knew she should be looking for Brown but she wanted this night, she needed it, she told herself. An inner voice whispered she was being selfish and she pouted, turning away from her partner. The music changed, a jerky shift to something slower, the singer’s voice elegiac and distant. Underneath it all was a persistent beat that had her shifting her weight on her toes. A pair of warm large hands spanned her waist and her lips twisted upward at his boldness. She stepped back into his embrace, wrapping the arms around her, and grinding her hips back into his. 

“Quite the little minx aren’t you,” a low familiar voice murmured in her ear and Rey froze, the whites of her eyes gleaming brightly in the dim space. 

“Where’s Eric?” she stuttered and Kylo begin to move her side to side, her feet shuffling with the beat. 

“I imagine he’s cleaning himself up in the bathroom,” Kylo answered, tightening his grip on her hips. He began to rock against her, their bodies undulating to the beat, Rey’s about a half a beat behind, with Kylo bumping into her. She closed her eyes, clinging to the pulsing in the floor, searching for the threads of her exhilaration moments before, her hands sliding down her body as she slipped out of Kylo’s possessive grip. She twirled on the floor, hands skating down her chest, her waist, to rest on her hips as she thrust her hips in a circular motion. She could feel the burn of Kylo’s rapt gaze as he followed her and she opened her eyes to see his tongue dragging along his bottom lip.

In that moment, the tension shimmered between them, a palpable thing, and Rey’s throat went dry. 

He was staring at her in a mixture of awe and desire and need and possessiveness that caused her knees to waiver for a moment as she turned on her heel, a faux pirouette. Kylo caught her and pulled her in, hand resting on the bare patch of skin on her back, a fire that trickled down her spine to rest in her lower belly. She felt herself tighten and she stared at his chest, allowing him to move her along the floor. 

Kylo cleared his throat. “Matthew is watching us.”

“Does he recognize you?”

“I don’t remember him but it’s possible.” She tipped her head up to watch Kylo through half hooded eyes. He was staring openly at Matthew now, standing on the second floor, and  flanked by a pair of burly men, muscles threatening to burst from their shirts. She cocked a brow at them, unimpressed by the showcase of brute strength.

“Does he always have an entourage?”

“Yeah, he’s got enemies here. He made a couple moves on some players that he shouldn’t have. If he ever goes south of 51st, he ain’t coming back.”

Rey chuckled: “You sound like a gangster.”

Kylo grinned down at her. “Cuz I am sweetheart, see?” he replied in the worst Cagney impression ever. Rey laughed heartily and leaned her cheek on his chest, allowing him to guide her around as he surveyed Matthew above. She savored his cologne, cedar and rosemary, sharp and warm, just like him, she thought, as his arms tightened around her. 

“What’s he doing?”

“Going to a private room.”

“Shall I play a drunk, what do you call me, minx?” Kylo strummed his fingers along her back as he thought and she didn’t want him to let go. Let them have this moment. It could be anything else, anywhere else, just another undercover ops. 

The beat picked up, a punishing thrum that threw the sea of bodies into a thrashing frenzy, dancers shaking back and forth as the singer screamed into a microphone. Kylo pulled away and the moment was lost. 

Rey slipped away from him, melting into the crowd, and picking up another martini. She wandered up the stairs and to the second floor, watching couples thrust against one another on the dance floor and on the couches, hands entwined in hair, knowing smirks on faces. Matthew Brown was sitting on a couch that was half obscured by a curtain. He wasn’t a tall man, but wiry, with close cropped brown hair and thin lips twisted into a half smile. A brown bottle of beer dangled between his fingers as he observed the dancers below. 

Rey sloshed a little vodka on herself and took a sip, allowing herself to teeter a bit as she walked, a coy smile on her face. The guards grew less leery of her as Matthew openly admired her. He patted the seat beside him and she slipped next to him, letting her hip bump his. His gaze raked over her and she leaned back, more than aware the fabric tightened across her breasts as she moved.

“You looking for someone?” he asked politely.

“Looking for you,” she pretended to slur the edges of her words, just enough to suggest tipsy but not drunk and wagged a finger at him. He smirked. 

“Why’s that, sugar?”

“I’m looking for someone who knows how to treat a woman,” she purred her as she sat up, his eyes tracking every move, riveted to the slight peeking of the curve of her breasts as the fabric slipped open. Inwardly Rey grimaced. She should have gotten the fabric tape. 

“And how do you want to be treated?” Matthew prompted, a knowing gleam in his eye. His hand fell on her knee and she smiled brightly at him.

“I want a real man, one who can make me feel like a woman,” she answered, lowering her voice so that she dripped innuendo. She pressed her body against his. He chuckled and looked down at her, eyes roving over every curve. 

“You here alone?”

“Hmmmm, not anymore.”

“What about that man you were dancing with?” 

Rey swatted his arm and batted her lashes. “You were watching me?” Her gamine face morphed into one both scandalized and pleased. Matthew leaned closer and she could see his brown eyes, smell his aftershave, pine and moss, all sharp angles. 

“It’s hard not to notice you,” he murmured and alarm bells went off in Rey’s head. She thought back to the news and wondered if the FO knew she was with Kylo. Who she really was. 

Instead she lowered her head and pretended to blush. 

“What are you drinking?” he asked. 

“I take coffee, black, in the morning,” she replied in a kittenish voice and Matthew’s lips twitched, stretching into a smile. He lowered his face to hers, their noses awfully close, his breath warming her cheek. She knew Kylo was nearby and she wondered how they were going to get Matthew out of the club. Initially the plan was to lure him into the bathroom and Kylo would come in and take it from there. It had been hazy and impossible and fueled by revenge, she thought now as she smiled at Matthew.

“Got a name sweetheart?”

“Kira,” she said, flipping her hair back and sipping the rest of her martini. 

“Come here often?”

“I own this club, Kira,” he drawled, drawing out her name. The hand on her knee slid higher, resting just under the hem of the romper as he leaned into her. “You like it?”

“Your hand or the club?” she breathed, interjecting a little hitch into her voice. 

“Why not both?” Matthew teased, thumb circling the edge of her inner thigh. Rey let her eyes widen, imagining it was Kylo so that a bloom spread across her cheeks. Matthew chuckled and pushed her back on the couch so that she was staring up at him as he loomed over her. His hand traveled up her body, thumb grazing her nipple before resting on her jaw. He dragged his thumb across her lower lip.

“You move fast,” she gasped.

“I thought you were looking for someone who knew how to make you feel like a woman.” She nodded as he cupped her face, fingers running through her hair. He bent down, his lips brushing her cheek, and Rey swallowed, wondering just how far she had to go. 

“I have uses for women like you,” Matthew growled, hand tightening in her hair.

“Uses?” Rey stuttered. “Like bondage?” He laughed, a grating sound. 

“I’m no Christian Grey sweetheart. I mean, you’ve got a body a man can fuck all night long and I can turn that to your advantage.” Rey gazed at him wide-eyed as he trailed his knuckle down her sides. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I run a certain kind of service, a kind of service that a beautiful woman like you can make some money with. What are you? College? Grad school? Artist?” Matthew prompted, his tone changing to something abrasive but clipped. 

“Um, graduate school,” Rey stuttered. Matthew grinned and sat up, beckoning her to sit next to him. She followed suit, mind in a whirl, wondering if Kylo knew about an escort service. She adjusted her romper, wishing it was less baring, her gaze roving over the second floor to see if she could spot him. 

“Graduate school, I knew it,” Matthew was saying. “It’s an easy deal and you set the parameters. I take seventy percent and you just need to smile and flash some leg. If you wanna go more, well, I can get more.” Rey stared brazenly at him, wondering how many women were under his sway. She cleared her throat as Matthew moved closer to her, lips brushing her ear.

“Some of it would be just like this, just a date, a pretty bit of eye candy on the arm of some old man. Some of it might require a bit more. You just set the terms.” Rey let out a nervous laugh and bit her lip.

“Do you offer this to all the women who hit on you?” she tittered. 

Matthew drew back and rested his arms along the top of the couch. “No. But you’re stunning. You’re not my type but if you were I’d want to be seen with you.”

“Not your type?” 

“I prefer men. Especially those with dark eyes, broad shoulders…” He trailed off and Rey realized that he was implying that he was watching Kylo. She thought back to the profile Kylo had shown her on Matthew. He was a liar, she thought, but she bent her head forward, and pretended to look disappointed.

“So, thirty percent isn’t bad,” Matthew was saying. “Especially since the minimum is two thousand dollars for an hour. Think about it. Six hundred bucks for an hour’s worth of work. That’ll cover your rent.”  Rey made a non committal humming noise and Matthew stood.

“Come on, let’s talk about this in my office,” he offered. Rey debated for a moment, wondering where Kylo was. Trusting him to be watching, she took Matthew’s hand and followed him around the corner where a small stairway was tucked away. She trailed him upstairs, listening to the thudding of the guards’ feet behind her. The stairway led to a short but gleaming hardwood hallway that ended in a pair of lacquered doors. 

Rey entered behind Matthew, hearing the door click behind her as Matthew pulled it shut. He placed one hand on her back as he led her to his desk. To her left was a large tinted window, that looked down on the dance floor, green and blue lights sweeping over the crowd. 

“Pardon me,” Matthew said as he walked behind his desk to pick up a blinking phone. Rey took a seat in front of him and watched as he spritzed on some more sharp smelling cologne. She wrinkled her nose and pulled down the edge of her romper. Matthew smirked down at her. 

“Yes, of course. See to it,” he spoke into the phone before hanging up, coming around to perch on the edge of the desk, leg swinging. “This is the empire I invite you to, Kira. Ultimate luxury. What you’re doing now--that’s all you need do.” He smiled benevolently and gestured toward a fully loaded bar on a treated cypress side table. Rey shook her head, a sudden stab of pain her temple. 

“As a graduate student you don’t get paid much, if at all,” he continued as he strode toward the bar. “I’m offering you a chance of a lifetime. You’ve ever been to Greece, Kira? Or Jakku?”

Rey cleared her throat, a dull pounding taking up residence in her bone arena. “Jakku? That’s an interesting thought. What makes you think I’m a desert gal?”

“You’ve got deliciously honeyed skin,” Matthew purred, sipping some whiskey before sliding into a chair next to her. The tips of his fingers drew odd circles on the flesh of her knee and Rey stared at them, hair rising on her arms. She swallowed thickly again, wondering why her throat suddenly felt so parched. 

“Perhaps I’ll have some water,” she suggested weakly and Matthew chuckled. 

“The water won’t help what’s happening, Rey,” he said, taking another sip of his whiskey. Rey blinked through the sudden fog and rubbed her eyes.

“Rey? My name’s Kira,” she got out as a sharp stabbing sensation filled her skull. She pitched forward, shrieking as Matthew grabbed her ponytail and hauled her to her feet. She screeched and clutched her head, the pounding vibrating down her spine. Strong hands gripped her from behind and she struggled as she something jerked around her waist. 

He was tying her to a chair, she thought blindly, blinking rapidly. 

“Please, Rey, no lies between us. Besides,” he continued in a droll voice. “I meant what I said. I have uses for a woman like you. Snoke doesn’t necessarily want you dead. I’m sure he could see the benefit in a beautiful young woman as yourself. And, I like the irony. You came to punish me for what I do. And instead you’ll be subjected to the same fate.” He chuckled and came around to face her, looping the rope around one wrist to tie it to the chair arm. Rey feebly kicked at him, her head screaming in pain. Matthew neatly backhanded her, a copper taste filling her mouth.

“You’re so wrong,” she spat, gathering her strength. “Kylo is here. You think I came alone?”

“Oh I know you didn’t, sweetheart. I just got off the phone with my main man here. The First Order knew you were coming.” Fear seized Rey’s heart, sending it to a spiral. She glared up at Matthew through a curtain of brown hair. “They are currently watching Kylo now. I don’t know if Snoke wants him alive or not. I guess I’ll find out. But until then, let’s enjoy each other’s company.” 

He began to fasten her other arm to the chair. One hand slid down her side, palming her breast. 

“Such sweet little things. Tell me, did you prefer Kylo touching them or sucking them?” Matthew taunted. “We can let him see everything you know. A little tape of what happens when you cross the First Order.” He squeezed her tit, hard, waves of pain shuddering her small frame. Rey shook her head and snarled, lashing out with her foot to connect with his hip. He stumbled back, hunching to grab his hip, and she leaned back, throwing both of her feet at his face. She heard a satisfying crunch as her heel hit his nose and he screeched. The chair tipped over and she fell to the floor with a loud thunk.

“You crazy bitch!” Matthew snapped, grabbing her legs and jerking her up, slapping her once to split her lip. Blood dribbled from the cut, staining her teeth, and flooding her mouth. She spat it out, crimson foam trickling down her chin. 

“Fuck you!” she screamed, headbutting him. Her nails scrabbled to pull on the rope, throwing herself forward until it loosened. Matthew lunged for her and she kicked him in the groin. He fell back, wheezing, his mouth a picture of pain. She stood up, twisting sideways to clobber Matthew on the side with the chair legs. 

Rey spied a knife on the desk and scrambled for it, wrenching her left arm out of its ties to grab it. She began frantically sawing through the rope, her head pounding and her knees weak. Suddenly, Matthew grabbed the back of the chair and flung her to the ground, her knees scraping on the rug and her cheek whacking the chair. Matthew snarled at her, his face a livid purple.

The breath knocked out of her for the moment, Rey focused on cutting the rope, feeling the nylon twist underneath the knife before it went dull. She strained against the rope, rocking herself back and forth until Matthew kicked her on the side, legs spinning in the air. He pulled the knife from her hand, blade gleaming in the low lights, and knelt beside her. 

“You little cunt,” he snarled. His face was streaked with blood, his eyes alight with something dark and ferocious, his nose smashed to the side. He brought the knife down to her face, eyes growing wide. She raised an arm, knocking his to the side, grimacing as the knife sliced her arm. He grabbed her arm and twisted, sharp pain slicing up her arm. She screamed and scrabbled to keep the knife from her face, his arm jerking down to her exposed chest, a thin line of blood welling on her skin as the knife snagged her flesh. 

“The FO doesn’t take shit from bitches you like,” he snapped. “You’ll soon see Snoke’s true power.” He leaned forward, jerking his arm back, and grinned maniacally. He ran his tongue down the side of her face and Rey shrieked, turning to bite his cheek. Her teeth dug into his flesh and without thinking she tore, a scrap of skin coming with her. She spat it in his face and he fell back, howling, an angry red patch beneath the dermis. 

Rey snatched his knife from his fingers and finished cutting the rope. He punched her, sending her reeling, and she crabbed away from him, knife still in her hand. They circled one another, the blood pounding through her, eyes blinking rapidly as the haze hung around the edges of her vision. 

“What did you do to me?” she cried. Matthew wiped a hand across his face and leered.

“My cologne has a little something extra in it to help subdue you. I’m immune to it from frequent use.” Rey shuddered at the implications in the statement as he continued: “Apparently it doesn’t work on wild animals.” He made a jab at her and she stumbled back, tripping on a cord, and crashing against the window. It cracked behind her and she jerked forward, right into Matthew’s arms. He gripped her to him, arms squeezing tight, and he nuzzled her ear.

“I’m going to tie you up and fuck you in front of Kylo until you’re a bleeding mess,” he whispered. She threw her head back, butting his face, the ringing growing louder in her ear. She stamped down on his foot and ducked underneath, praying that she remembered her training, that she had just enough strength, and flung him over her shoulder. His feet struck the window as he fell, splintering the glass further.

Rey watched as the bottom of the glass broke away and fell to the dance floor. Screams rose up from the crowd. She heard them dimly as she picked up the knife and sat on her knees, holding the knife to Matthew’s throat. She punched him in the head, in the ear, in his broken nose, his hands scrambling for her, and pushed him so that his knees dangled out of the window. A piece of glass shuddered, then fell, piercing his thigh. Matthew screamed loud and sharp and Rey could see the blood soaking his pant leg. 

“Tell me where he is,” she ground out.

Matthew laughed crazily. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, bitch.” Rey jammed the knife into his shoulder blade, Matthew continuing to laugh louder. She heard loud thuds coming from the door and she shuddered. Knowing she couldn’t defend herself as she was, she staggered to her feet and hobbled to Matthew’s desk. She rifled through the drawers, opening them, until she found a gun resting next to a package of hand sanitizer wipes. A Glock 22, like she was used to. She checked the clip, watching as Matthew struggled to edge away from the window. 

“He doesn’t love you, you know,” Matthew wheezed. “He’s just using you to usurp Snoke.” Rey considered the wounded animal in front of her, her body racked with pain, her head tight and dizzy, her stomach clenching from his sick words. The darkness welled up within her. 

“Are those your last words?” she asked in a clipped voice. Matthew grinned up at her. 

“No, these are: Who is Rey Kenobi?” He chortled as she strode toward him to rip the knife out of his shoulder and plunge it into his throat. Rey watched dispassionately as the life slipped out of Matthew’s eyes. Her body wanted to shudder, to be horrified. Another part of her, cold and calculating, watched it all with a cool gaze, reminding her that the knife handle bore her fingerprints. 

Without thinking, Rey grabbed the packet of wipes and scrubbed the blade. The damp cloth stung her hands, her cheek throbbing, her sight slowly clearing.

There was a popping sound in the air and the door opened. Rey knew it wasn’t over as she raised her gun. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sansacat is a great beta and well, I'm a terrible writer so any mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Thanks for all the love, the kudos, and the recc'ing!

Kylo Ren had a problem. More specifically, he had two problems. One was the creeping sense that the First Order had anticipated his arrival at the club downtown: the hairs rising on the back of his neck or the shadows moving in the corner of his eyes, only to mist when he turned. The other currently occupied the dance floor, sinuously writhing her hips against an Axe doused blonde with at least ten grand worth of dental work and an increasingly irritating face. 

Kylo prowled around the dance floor, fingers dangling over the edge of the railing, tapping an uneven tattoo as the music rushed at him. A woman bumped into him and cast a sly look over him. He ignored her, riveted by the image of Rey grinding on the dance floor. She was a wild thing, he mused, giving into the beat pulsing through the club. The haunting voice of the singer twined around them both and Rey lifted her arms in the air as her hips shimmied. The need was evident on her face--her closed eyes, her half parted mouth, her hands gliding down her body to meet the blonde’s hands, gripping her hips too tightly. The rapture all too clear on his face.

Kylo bit back a growl. He had helped release that wildness within her. She would not let this man savor it. He reminded himself that he had no control over her; he just needed to lay the grounds for her Becoming. 

But how he longed for that to include him, to revive that long suppressed dream of her body writhing underneath his. He had a taste of it during the stakeout and it only increased his capacity for hunger. Ben Solo had been amazed that Rey hadn’t draped her body across his desk so that he could fuck her into oblivion. More than once an agent had offered and more than once he had thought about it (Kylo Ren would; Ben Solo couldn’t; there were  _ rules _ to be followed). He had wished for it. He had seen the temptation in her eyes. 

And he needed to be the one that she succumbed to. 

Realizing he was thinking more with his dick than with his brain, even as his mind screamed at him that his other problem required his attention, Kylo waded into the sea of people, parting them gently until he arrived at Rey and the blonde. He tapped the blonde’s shoulder and his head whipped around, eyes red and breath reeking of clove cigarettes and marijuana. Kylo snorted.

“Get your hands off my girl before I break them into fifty four pieces,” he growled. The blonde’s shaggy brows lifted.

“She said she was alone.” Kylo ignored his protest and grabbed the blonde’s hand, pointing one of his blunted fingers at the other man’s. 

“This here is called a distal phalange. I’m going to break it first. You’ll feel pain but will still have movement. Then I’ll move down your hand to your carpals, here at your wrist. There are eight bones here and you’ll feel each one. And I know how to extract pain, to savor each cry, so that you’ll know that each bone was broken for the number of seconds you touched her.” The music changed to something softer, something enticing and Kylo’s low voice carried between the two men. Rey was oblivious, swaying to the music, her glorious peach shaped ass taunting him. Kylo’s blood sang with desire and he pulled back, sniffing the air. 

A dark spot bloomed along the blonde’s jeans, ammonia scenting the space between them. Kylo raised a disdainful brow. Terrified the blonde jerked his hand out of Kylo’s and raced away, slipping once on the stairs, before scrambling out of the dance pit. Kylo smirked and moved around the piss, gently guiding Rey to a different area of the dance floor and scowling at any man whose gaze lingered too long on her form. 

He tugged her closer to him, sank into the warm feeling in his chest and his thighs, the curling tightness in his belly as her ass brushed his groin. The surprise on her face made him grin and the seductive little twirl she did on the floor, the slitted glance that she tossed over her shoulder at him, the slight lift of her lips had his body humming. The distorted sparkly synths knifed by the glass like voice of the singer pulsed around them, drawing him inexorably toward her, catching her as she twirled, his hand positively burning as he grazed the bare patch of her back (how he longed to bend her over and worship that bronzed skin with his lips, how he needed to bite and to suckle and to gaze in possessive pride over the purpling marks). 

She shivered and the tension coiled around them, pressing, suffocating, and Kylo inhaled deeply, lifting his eyes up to the second floor, trying to ignore the tightness in his jeans. 

That’s when he saw the rat like eyes of Matthew Brown and the song of the hunt galloped through his veins. He bit back a snarl and a cast a look at Rey, following his gaze. She gave a predatory smile before grabbing Kylo’s hand and looping it around her waist, looking all the world like a couple grinding together to the insistent beat. 

He can’t, he can’t, he can’t, he chanted to himself, as his hands craved the taste of her flesh under his palms, as they breathed in the molecules of each other’s desires, tangy and heady in the sea of bodies and sweeping purple lights, her eyes widening as she recognized it at last. A truth they could ignore no longer but one they can not act upon.

Kylo made a bad joke and she smiled at it. All fell back to normal. 

They spoke briefly and he resisted the urge to drop a kiss on her forehead. He shambled along with the music as he watched her wind her way through the crowd and up the stairs.  Glancing around and spying no one but swearing that eyes were following him, Kylo melted into a group of people, trailing them as they threaded through the crowds. He slipped away and headed for a side stairwell, looking up briefly to watch Matthew rest his hand on Rey’s knee and her coy blush.

“Good for her,” he murmured, taking the stairs two at a time. He found them waiting for him at the top of the stairs. A tall blonde known to Kylo as Nines gestured toward a door. Kylo looked around and heard footfalls behind him. He was caught on both sides. Running his tongue along his teeth, adrenaline beginning to course through his veins, he nodded and followed Nines into a room. 

There were about a dozen FO agents, he counted quickly, as he surveyed the room. Dingy windows faced another warehouse, rain pattering sharp and needle like against the glass. The walls curved outward, a facile attempt at separating a living room from a dining room where a table gleamed under low lights. Lightning flashed briefly outside and Kylo saw the shape of a man on the roof across the way. He saw the men, the guns, the batons and smiled at Nines.

“Kylo Ren,” Nines mocked. He had greedy little green eyes and fat fingers, clad in a too shiny suit. Kylo merely smiled. Nines gestured toward the long table by the window. Kylo glanced to his left and saw a kitchenette tucked away behind a glass door. 

“I would rather you kill me here than take me out the coward’s way,” Kylo said amiably. Nines grinned, revealing too many silver coated teeth. 

“He is just there to make sure you don’t do anything stupid,” Nines replied. Weighing his options, Kylo strode purposefully across the room and jerked out a chair, taking a seat. He smiled politely at Nines who took the chair at the other end.  

“What do you want?” Kylo asked. 

“Our dear Supreme Leader would like you to understand that what you are doing has consequences. At first it was funny. You broke out of prison. We thought it was for the girl. But I don’t think you fucked her and you certainly haven’t turned her to our cause,” Nine chortled, his words knifing Kylo. His eyes darted toward the door, to the four men blocking it, guns out and eyes riveted to him.

“What are you doing to her?” Kylo demanded, worry rising. The need for blood flooded through him and his hands curled into fists. 

“At this time, Matthew is convincing her to go to his office. And from there,” Nines shrugged. “She’s not really his type but he’ll do what it takes to subdue her.”

“You’re disgusting.” 

“Please Kylo. We’re part of the same family.” 

“No we’re not,” Kylo said frigidly. “You thrive off of other people’s pain and you bathe in it, you see glory in watching others being broken. I just killed people. One moment and gone. The candle snuffed out. I didn’t drag it out endlessly.”

“Didn’t you though? A couple of tortures? I seem to remember…”Nines trailed off and tapped his teeth thoughtfully before shrugging. “We all do what we are asked to for the good of the Order.”

“Rape is not for the good of the Order.”

“It’s not rape, Kylo. It’s finding a pleasure center and moving the best product to consistently produce that sentiment and at a profitable margin.” Kylo rolled his eyes and shook his head. This conversation had moved into the insufferable zone and he had Rey to protect. He surveyed the guards--four by the main door, two posted behind him and two posted by the curvy frame bisecting the space. 

In a flash, he leapt out of his chair and grabbed the arm of a man behind him. He swung him into guard number two and kicked behind him to slow down guard number three.  He ducked into the kitchenette as bullets riddled the wall. He glanced around the cube sized space and grabbed the knives from the butcher block. Plaster rained down as bullets continued to pound into the wall. 

Swearing loudly, Kylo curled against himself until the bullets stopped. He peeked around the corner and flung a knife with deadly precision, hitting a guard in the chest. He fell but another raced toward the kitchen. Kylo plunged a steak knife into his throat and pulled it across, grunting as the guard smacked him with the butt of the gun. Kylo yanked the gun out of his hand and slammed his palm into the guard’s face. He aimed his gun at the rushing guard and pumped it twice, the guard falling to his knees. 

A loud crack filled the room and Kylo jumped back as the doorframe exploded in chunks of wood. Splinters bit into his cheek and Kylo cried out as a bullet clipped his arm. He whirled around to face the other guard in the doorway screaming as something hit in him the chest. The other guard had a stun gun and he pulled the trigger again, electricity galloping through Kylo. The gun falling from trembling fingers, his mouth falling open as his legs collapsed underneath him. He heard glass crunching and Nines kneeled next to him, something sharp gleaming between his fingers.

“You’re lucky Snoke doesn’t want you dead,” he gloated before jabbing Kylo in the neck with a needle. Kylo choked, a garbled cry for someone, before darkness claimed him. 

 

Kylo swam upward to consciousness, a fire flickering along his spine, slowly becoming aware that his mouth tasted of copper and that his head felt woolly. He blinked several times, groaning at the sharp spike of pain each time he opened his eyes. He licked his lips and shook his head, forcing himself to survey the room through slitted eyes.

“Ah, he’s awake,” Nines commented, putting down his tablet. His feet were propped up on the table and Kylo could smell rain and asphalt through the broken window. Kylo was tied securely to a chair, the plastic ties cutting into his wrists and ankles. 

“What do you want from me?” Kylo slurred. 

“More like what does Snoke want from you but I know Hux certainly has some questions he wants answered,” Nines replied. He waved his hand and two guards came to stand by Kylo. Kylo blinked up at them as they rested serrated blades on his fingers. He fought the urge to swallow. “And if you don’t answer, Hux is amenable to you losing a few digits.” 

“Hux doesn’t run the show,” Kylo spat. 

“Not now anyways,” Nines agreed. “But first off. What was the point of the warehouse? Is it because you’re against the sex trafficking?”

“Whatever gave Hux that idea?” Kylo drawled. Nines chuckled and made a gesture. Kylo gasped and saw stars as a fist connected with his jaw. Pain radiated along his neck and he made an odd gurgling noise as he tried to swallow, blood filling his mouth. He spat it out on the table and Nines frowned.

“That’s rude.” 

“What do you hope to accomplish? Do you think I have some sort of grand plan?”

“Don’t you? Why else would you come here?” Kylo snorted and shook his head, grimacing as the dull pounding in his head grew more insistent with each movement. 

“You just don’t get it,” he said softly. “You think this is just about the money. What if it was about something else? What if I told you it had everything to do with Rey Kenobi and Snoke and revenge?”

Nines scoffed. “Another half baked idea. I think you just want to get into her pants.”

“What do you know of Snoke? Honestly? Alistair Smith just hit it big with cybernetics and a seemingly perfect history. But they can never find a college roommate, an ex wife. Who is he?” 

“Who are you? A fuckboy or a loyal soldier to Snoke?” Nines countered. His phone beeped and he looked at it, frowning. He stood up and strode toward Kylo. “Time to pay the piper, Kylo.” Kylo glared up at him through hazy eyes and smirked. 

A slicing sound filled the room and blood began to seep out of Nine’s forehead. Kylo blinked at the bullet hole. Nines made an odd croaking noise before pitching forward. Everyone stared for a moment before the guards sprang into action.  There was a flurry of activity, hard clicks are safeties were flipped off, and another set of shots rang out. Two more guards crumpled to the ground. Kylo craned his neck to see if he could make out the sniper but cool air blew through the broken windows, swollen clouds rolling overhead. He watched as three of the eight remaining guards raced toward the door, spilling out into the club, leaving him alone with five. 

He fought against his bonds, jerking his arm back and forth, grabbing onto the bright flashes of pain to stay focused as he struggled to loosen the ties. A handcart was wheeled in by one of the few remaining guards.  Another edged far away, looking green around the gills before he turned around and began throwing up. A guard walked over to pat him on the shoulder while another tipped Kylo back, trying to move the chair to the handcart.

“I don’t think I’ll fit,” Kylo remarked.

“Shut up!” the guard snapped before blood spilled out of his mouth and smoke drifted out of his cheek. Kylo flinched as he heard glass break again and two more of the guards fell. One clawed at his throat, the bullet failing to hit his artery. Blood pooled around him and Kylo twisted his head, watching the guard realize that he was going to die. 

Kylo waited for the bullet to come, eyes flickering over the roof, heart pounding. This was not how he imagined the end. He began to hop the chair over, trying to reach a sideboard. Each jarring hop sent pain racing up his spine. His face was sore, his lip puffy, and his head ached. But the ever gnawing worry about Rey had him gritting his teeth, wrists and ankles rubbed raw from the ties, and forcing himself onward. The other guard kneeled, his eyes wild as his fellow soldiers lay in heaps around him. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the chair feet scraping on the floor like nails on a chalkboard inside his head, he heard movement outside the door. He paused, grimacing at his position. The one remaining guard lifted his gun and peeked around the corner. 

There was a loud report and the guard stumbled back. Two more shots rang out and he fell to his knees, squeezing off one shot before slumping to the side. Kylo held his breath, listening to feet clopping on the floor, as the shooter neared. He wondered if they killed everyone else just to torture him. 

His breath left him in an explosion as Rey rounded the corner, rifle in hand. 

“There’s no one here,” he told her. She swept her gaze over him and he couldn’t help but gasp. She had a cut across her chest, clotted now, and her knuckles were torn. She had a black eye and a bruise along her jaw and a thirst for revenge flooded him. 

“Don’t worry, he’s dead,” Rey informed him in a clipped voice. She came over and examined his ties, kneeling down to pull a knife from a guard to cut through one of the ties. She handed him the knife and he finished freeing himself, wobbling on his feet as he stood. She came to wrap an arm around him and he leaned heavily on her, feeling her sway. 

“What about the rest of the guards?”

“They were around the front. I took care of them,” Rey answered soberly. “But we need to hurry.” She took a heavy step forward and Kylo forced himself to stand up straighter and move forward, wrists and ankles tingling as circulation flowed again. 

“Who taught you to shoot like that?”

“I’m roommates with Jess Pava,” Rey told him, “You know the best shooter in the Academy?”

“Ah yes I forgot about that. Should I worry about her coming after me?”

”If we get out of this alive, she’s going to slaughter you.”

“Good to know.”

“But it’ll be a tie between her and Finn,” Rey added and Kylo cracked a smile. Last call was being sent through the club and Rey pointed to another door. He followed her down the stairs, wondering what Nines had drugged him with that made him feel so sluggish. Cool air hit him when they walked outside, Rey scanning the parking lot as they hurried to the Jeep. She was alert, calm, following formation precisely, he noted. 

She had made more than a dozen kills tonight and he wondered just exactly how she was feeling. Shock would come later, he thought as he beeped the Jeep. Without thinking, he grabbed her arm and pushed her up against the wet car. She cried out and he silenced her with a kiss. 

He poured all of his longings into that kiss, all of the desires she had stirred up, all of the love (and goddamnit he felt it and he did not need this right now) and she leaned into him, her lips hungrily seeking his. Kylo let his hands rove over, resting his palm over her breast (finally!, he rejoiced) and he coaxed her mouth open. They were bloody and bruised and aching and this was not what he wanted but he melted into her, cupping her face gently, pulling back to peck her nose and her cheeks and her forehead. 

It began to rain again, soft cleansing rain this time. She shivered, gooseflesh along her arms. 

“Are you alright?” he asked. She nodded and he smiled, kissing her softly. 

“Are you alright?” she countered, resting her hands on his chest. His heart leapt and he forced it down. It would not do for a Kylo Ren, murdering badass, to fall to pieces at her hands. 

“I’ll be fine,” he reassured her, a little more gruffly than he intended. Rain beaded along her hairline and he pushed it back with his thumb, his eyes a little more misty than he wanted. 

“Kiss me,” she urged huskily and he bent down, lips hastily seeking hers. This one wasn’t careful; this one was full of need and darkness, teeth clicking together in their hurry. Kylo fumbled for the door behind her and pulled it open, guiding her around and into the seat. He yanked the recline handle back and she let an “oof!” as the seat fell back. He settled on top of her, closing the door, and wiping the rain off her face. 

He chased the water with his lips, fascinated by the dip at the top of her lip, the hollow in her collarbone, the damp valley between her breasts. He could see her nipples pressing against the fabric and she shivered again. Swearing, he sat up, bumping his head and groaning.

“This can wait until we get back to the hotel,” Rey suggested. “We aren’t in high school.” 

“I’m tired of waiting,” he told her as he thrust the key in the engine and turned the heater on. Warm air blasted through the vents and he gazed down at her. His jeans were too tight and the heat that had been building inside of him for days ached for a release. He wanted to shimmy her up the seat and bury his face in her cunt, taste the sweetness he had dreamed about. He wanted nails dragging in his scalp, knees squeezing his ears, legs shaking as she fell dissembled around him. He could see the want in her eyes, feel the burning in her palm as she caressed his chest, mouth half open. 

“Kiss me,” she urged and his mouth claimed hers, car shaking with their frantic movements. He couldn’t get enough of her, the linden blossom scent clinging to her damp hair, the honey soap she used on her face. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and she winced loudly. He drew back, noting the cuts on her lips. All the tenderness he had shoved aside urged him to consider her tired eyes: the bruises, the cuts, the attention she truly needed. 

Kylo sighed and slid off her, settling in the driver’s seat. Rey gazed up at him, disappointment heavy on her face. 

“What happened?” she demanded. 

“You’re tired and you’re injured,” he said shortly. 

“And so are you,” she pointed out crisply.

“And this isn’t the time.”

“Why not?” Rey hotly cried. “I want you, you want me. Why not? When will be the time, Kylo?” He licked his lips and looked over at her. She was sitting up, hair hanging in dark hanks around her face, the vivid purple under her eye distracting him. 

“I’m not ready,” he said simply and he threw the car in gear. He pulled out of the parking lot and Rey angrily clicked on her seat belt, folding her arms across her chest. The streets of Chicago were not as empty at three am as one would have thought but Kylo slipped through the traffic easily. 

“Someone is following us,” Rey said quietly. Kylo glanced up to the rearview mirror to confirm. A grey Toyota four runner was behind them and had been for some time. At that moment, a black SUV pulled in front and the rear window lowered. 

“Duck!” Rey shouted as Kylo jerked the wheel. Bullets bounced off the car as he tore down alleyway, both cars behind him.

“FO armors their cars,” Kylo told her tightly as he took a corner, wheels lifting off the ground. Rey screeched and Kylo cursed as they raced down Michigan Ave. He took a quick right down a tight alley as bullets continued to fly. 

“I’m getting tired of this,” Rey said through gritted teeth. 

“Me, too,” Kylo added just as police sirens screamed behind them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I exist at Tumblr as [HausCrashBurn ](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hauscrashburn). Come say hi! 
> 
> Next time: Will they escape the First Order? Will they continue to explore the fires of desire bubbling up within? And how did Rey take out all of those FO guys?


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was the desert and he was the monsoon, overcoming, waves upon waves of greed and need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sansacat's a good beta, I don't deserve her. All errors are my own, made intentionally. Style first.

Bullets pinged off the side of the Jeep and Kylo swerved hard, screeching along the building.

“Trash!,” Rey screamed, arms flying out to brace herself. Kylo jerked the car hard right, narrowly missing the dumpster. At the other end of the alley, a car slid to a stop, blocking their path. Shots continued to ping off the back and Rey gasped.

“Could really use a grenade launcher right now,” Kylo spat through gritted teeth. Rey opened the glove compartment.

“Well, we’ve got grenades,” she said and he chuckled, holding out his hand. She placed one in his palm and braced herself as he hit the brakes. He rolled down his window, popped the pin and flung the grenade toward the car at the end of the alley. A shot rang out, and Kylo yelped, pulling his hand back in. The grenade exploded with a loud pop, a ball of fire rolling down the alleyway. Rey ducked in her seat as the car grew hot and alarms began to blare. 

“Are you hit? Are you hit?!?” Rey screamed at Kylo. Thunder rolled overhead and the rain began to pour in sheets again. Her door was abruptly ripped open and strong arms grabbed her, pulling her out as she struggled. Kylo lurched forward with a roar, his own door flying open and an Uzi shoved his face. Rey shrieked as she struggled with the arms of a burly bearded man tightening around her waist. 

The rain soaked them both, making it difficult for her to pry his arms off of her. Her nails scored long lines down his arms, her shoes scraped the asphalt. 

“Stop it, bitch!” he growled, giving her a hard shake. Rey yelled and ducked downwards shimmying out of his hold. She shoved the heel of her hand up, hearing the nose crunch before she jammed her elbow into his side. With a holler, the man grabbed her by the neck and flung her into the brick wall. She bounced with a loud thud, hands smacking against the wall to steady herself. 

“Not anymore!” she screamed as she raced toward the man. Rage fueled her fist ramming into his nose one more time, blood squirting onto them both. She dodged his swinging arms and threw her shoulder into his midsection. They fell to the ground, mud and glass splashing up on them, and he rolled her under him, sitting squarely on her hips, meaty hands around her neck. 

“You cunt!” he snarled. Rey gasped, fingers digging the ground around her until she grasped a large bottle. She swung it up, hitting his head and he loosened his grip. She kept battering away, shoving her hips up until he was unseated. She rolled to her knees and briefly saw Kylo beating the other man while still another snuck up on him.

“Watch your back!” she screamed and Kylo turned to whack the man with the back of his hand. The man stumbled and his knife clattered to the ground. Rey surged to her feet, sirens screaming in the night air as the fire spluttered at the end of the street, racing for the knife at the same time as the other man. She avoided his fist as she bent to scoop up the knife. She flicked the blade open and jammed it in his cheek. He screamed and fell back and she jerked the knife out before facing the burly man. 

Who had a gun pointed directly at her. 

“You’re gonna die, bitch,” he swore and clicked off the safety. Without thinking, Rey flung the knife, ducking as the gun fired. The burly man gurgled as the knife buried itself in his throat. She scrambled forward, grabbing his gun arm, straining to keep it pointed away from her, smacking his hands down as she kicked him. He stumbled back and she whipped the knife out of his throat, watching the blood spill, black in the dim lit. She stabbed him again and again, falling down with his body until his neck and face were a miasma of skin and teeth and flesh and he stopped convulsing beneath her. 

“You bastard!” she was shrieking. “How dare you! You’re a monster! How did you think you could do this to me?!” She continued to hack at him until a pair of warm hands wrapped around her waist and jerked her up. She flailed against him screaming stop until one hand grabbed her wrist and held it from her. 

“Rey, stop it! Stop it! It’s me!” Kylo cried. She shuddered once, relief coursing through her before she slumped against him. She began to shiver and Kylo swore, clutching her to him.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, guiding her to the other car. The Jeep was in ruins and they were blocked in, fire flickering in the wreck at the end of the alley. The sirens split the air and he shoved her in the car before hopping in and peeling out. The attackers had been chasing them in a hulking blue Toyota Four Runner and Kylo expertly piloted the larger car back onto Michigan Ave, slipping unnoticed into traffic. Rey was dimly aware that he eventually pulled over and was ripping the tracking device from under the hood and the back. He climbed back in, water dripping off his long black locks, his eyes crinkled in concern. Her hands were black with blood and she closed her eyes, small sobs escaping her lips. 

He covered her with a blanket from the back and carried her upstairs to their room, her vacant eyes unseeing as he began to run a hot shower. She huddled in the corner, ice sticking to every vein, her body trembling. Kylo crouched in front of her just as the tears began to spill from her eyes.

“What have I become?” she asked tremulously. Kylo grasped her hands and raised them up to kiss the crimson covered fingers. 

“How did it feel when you killed them?” he asked, his voice low and seductive. She stared at him in shock.

“It felt so right,” she whispered. Her hazel eyes shimmered behind a haze of tears and Kylo leaned forward, kissing each lid, licking the salty trail as they slipped down her cheeks. She grasped his shirt and held his gaze.

“I want to forget,” she gasped. 

“No you don’t.”

“I want to be normal for just one moment. These hands will never be clean again,” she sobbed and Kylo cradled her to him, smoothing her hair back and kissing the top of her head. He pulled her to her feet and peeled her sopping romper off of her. Her breasts were covered in goosebumps, flesh pebbling even as steam rose above the shower. He rubbed his hands together and placed the heated palms on her skin. Her breath hitched and she leaned into them, her sob trailing off into a sigh. 

“Let me forget,” she demanded quietly. His eyes roved over her body--the cuts, the bruises, the scraps, the blood sticking to her. He scooped her up and deposited her in the shower before quickly shredding his own clothes and stepping in behind her. 

Rey was locked in her mind, seeing her hands stabbing the burly man over and over again, seeing her kill Matthew Brown, the terror in her eyes and her growing awareness of the pleasure she took in it. She saw her own coldness as she fired upon the men bursting into Matthew’s office, torturing one of the men until she found out about Kylo, and playing the slow, stalker game. Each decision had been thoroughly calculated and made deliberately. She was not a victim of circumstances.

She was falling into a darkness that mirrored his and she shuddered, telling herself it was momentary. She liked conservatories and beer at baseball games and flirty dresses and spending Saturday afternoons dozing with awful romance novels and Kylo’s fingers soaping her back and Kylo’s lips ghosting along her neck and Kylo Kylo Kylo. 

Kylo, her constant in this new dizzying world.

Kylo who was pushing her to new heights, ones she wasn’t sure she wanted.

Kylo who was washing her hair and scrubbing her diligently until she couldn’t see the blood, couldn’t see a hint of it, even if her mind told her it was there. 

Kylo who had every opportunity to fuck her senseless in the parking lot, to fuck her now, and yet he remained reserved, sudsing her back quietly until the water ran clear. Rey drifted back into herself as the wash cloth scraped against her skin, Kylo vigorously scrubbing a cut on her shoulder blade. She reached up to grab his hand, becoming aware of his naked body near hers, the heat emanating off him as he bent over her. 

Rey turned around and looked up at him, her eyes soft and serious. Kylo bit his lip. She hesitated, unsure, counting the beats of her heart, inhaling the sharp pine of the soap and the masculine scent of his skin, until she rose up and kissed him. 

He stilled beneath her lips, arms falling to his sides. 

“Touch me,” she urged, stepping until her skin lay on his, marveling at the firmness of his chest. She pressed her lips to his collarbone, his chest, tongue flicking out to peak his nipples. Kylo grasped her firmly and backed away.

“Are you sure?” he asked roughly. She brushed back a wet strand of hair that stuck to his cheek and kissed the water coasting over the roughness of his jaw. 

“I need to be normal,” she whispered. Kylo cradled her to him, one hand strumming her back, the other cupping her head, thumb kneading the skin at the nape of her neck. She shivered. 

“I’ll never be clean again,” she confessed as he kissed her cheeks, her forehead, his breath ghosting over her skin, warm and familiar.    
“You were never dirty,” he told her, picking up her hand. He drew one to his mouth, sucking her finger, her lower belly tightening as his cheeks hollowed, the tip of his tongue caressing the bottom of her finger. She shivered and watched as he did the same to another and another. 

“This hand is clean,” he declared as he pressed her hand to his chest. She could sense the rapid fluttering of his heart beneath her palm. Heat pulsed through her and she rested her head on his shoulder as he sucked the tips of her fingers of her other hand. She was becoming a mess of need, sliding her hips up and down his muscular thigh. Rey walked her fingers down his chest before stroking the length of him. She felt Kylo holding himself still, his breath hitching in his throat, as she cupped his balls, swirling her thumb just under his cock. 

“How would it have been?” she rasped. “The first time between us?”

“Not like this,” Kylo said thickly. He held her to him, pushing her back against the shower wall and lifting her leg around his hip. His cock lay thick and heavy between them, pressing against her wet core.“Christ, Rey.” 

“Don’t say no,” she begged.

“I don’t want to be a fuck and forget,” he growled. “I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and act like you can go back.” Rey narrowed her eyes. 

“You mean how like you were trying to fuck me while you were still with Bazine?” Kylo swore and banged his fist on the wall.

“When I figured out that I was serious about you, I broke it off with her. I never felt”--he paused and cursed again and Rey’s heart trembled. “I never wanted from her what I want from you.” He shook his head, wet hair curling along his cheekbones. “If that’s what you want, Rey, take what you need from me. I don’t care. Fuck me to forget. But I won’t. I’ll remember. And I’ll expect you to return the favor.” Rey swallowed hard and traced a cut on his cheek, avoiding the wounded expression in his eyes.

“I want you to take me to bed. Make it like it would have been if I had gone home with you from Quantico,” she whispered. Kylo snorted. 

“I didn’t realize you were into role play,” he murmured, brushing his lips across her forehead. 

“I’m not. But I want you. I don’t want tonight. Just you. Be who you want to be with me. Whether that is Kylo or Ben, I don’t care.” She let out a soft little laugh and kissed the bottom of his chin. “I think I love all sides of you.” He crushed her to him then, mouth sealing over hers, tongue sweeping along her bottom lip until she admitted him. She let her hands roam over his body, relishing the time she had to explore every muscle and bump and curve. She squeezed his ass once and he laughed in her mouth. 

“Rey…”and he hesitated. She saw the indecisions flicker in his eyes and nipped his bottom lip.

“I’m on birth control,” she spoke into his neck and his hands tightened around her. “Don’t say no. This has been waiting to happen since we met.” He grabbed her jaw and lifted her face up, holding her to him. She dizzily noted that he kissed like he fought--fiercely, thoroughly, violently. She leaned into him, taking control of the kiss, pulling her into him until he braced himself on the wall.

The slap of her skin on the cool tile, the scrape of teeth against lips and tongues, the needling of the hot water on the flesh sizzled her nerves, drew her edges raw enough that she was afraid she would dissemble, fall apart at the merest touch. As if sensing her apprehension, he cradled her face, callous thumb grazing freckled cheek, and sucked and nibbled and devoured her mouth. She didn’t know kisses could render her starved rather than sated, a fire smoldering under her skin as she rocked herself against the long line of his body, wishing to mold herself into him, longing for the lines to blur. Each kiss was a searing touch and she was certain it branded her as his for all the world to see. 

She had wanted this for so long she wasn’t sure what to do with him. She carded her fingers through his hair. She licked the quivering pulse in his throat. She chased beads of water down his chest with her lips. She raked her nails down his back and her mind raced through the endless possibilities of couplings. Her legs quaked and she wasn’t sure her knees would hold her up, especially as his lips traveled down the column of her neck, his hip digging into her belly, her breath burning in her throat as she fought to contain the gasps threatening to tumble from her lips. 

They stumbled from the shower, half mumbled words, verbal caresses, praising each other’s bodies. She wrapped herself around him, reveling in the bouncing of the mattress, the creak of the headboard as he let her fall and chased her up the bed. She wasn’t sure what enticed her more---the feral gleam in his eyes or the way he flipped her on her stomach, the tips of his fingers drawing lines of fire up her thighs, along her spine, carefully skimming the edge of her core. She shuddered and nudged her legs wider, the bed bending as he settled between, laying a track of soft barely there kisses along her spine, his wet hair dragging along on her back, drips of water hissed as they met burning flesh. 

She was the desert and he was the monsoon, overcoming, waves upon waves of greed and need and mouth and tongue, fingers delving between folds growing wetter with each delicate, seeking, touch. She wasn’t sure how he could be both filth and finery. She bloomed beneath his ministrations, a creeping rosy flush along her skin that sent him into a frenzy, ravaging her back, the nape of her neck, the back of knees, labored breathing as he struggled not to fuck her ragged even as she was flooded with wet and warmth. 

Her moans grew needier as he hitched her hips up and slid beneath her, tongue sinking into her, and she quivered around him, bruises sprouting from the nails he dug into her thigh. Her breasts grazed the scratchy bedcover and they ached, a steady pulsing that had her rubbing them, even as she rocked back, offering prayers for someone to slake her thirst, for him to grant her absolution. 

He lifted her up until she rested on her haunches, her body bare to hungry eyes that sought to memorize every molecule of bronzed skin. She looked down at him and held his gaze, held that hunger, crushed it to her, as she rolled her body over that mouth that sought to please. He slithered a heated palm against her back, holding her steady as she rocked herself, each touch seeping in between atoms, entwining their very molecules with one another. A pleasure as currency, an exchange of dreams between them, as his tongue rode her flesh, dipped and swirled, until he had wrung every last cry from her, sucking the floods, the monsoon drenching the desert at last. 

Her thighs burned from the incessant scraping of his beard and her breasts yearned for his touch. She pitched to the side and he collapsed beside her, bemused and humming, as he skated fingers up her ribs. 

“Touch me,” she rasped.

“I can’t seem to stop,” he confessed. A clash of teeth, lips still unused to one another, and a drop of copper slid down her throat. It only added to her catalog of bruises and cuts--a testimony to a war being waged and won. 

“You are the one that I am meant for,” she told him and he buried her beneath him. She twined her legs around him, lifting, begging, and he thrust inside her, conjoined at last, nerve endings faltering as she could not process the wave of heat flooding through her. 

“Don’t tell me I’m beautiful,” she begged as his hips bore them along, a rough and uneven rhythm.

“Incandescent, rather,” he hummed as sounds of slick slapping flesh overrode his words. He stole her breath with keen kisses and she couldn’t get her fill of his sinewy flesh beneath her hands. She ate up inches with her touch as he filled her, a slow aching thrust that sent waves rolling through her. She swore her spine would snap as she arched off the bed, as he lifted her to him, sitting on his knees, hips growing desperate now as he snapped harder into her. Possessiveness inundated her (why did she crave this? It’s not what I want, it’s not what I want, even as her body insisted it was what she needed) and he clutched her to him, nose buried in the crook of his neck, cursing as she tasted his sweet sweat sheened flesh. 

Her hoarse cry reverberated against his, twining and rising, as waves of pleasure rushed through spent limbs. The bed sagged beneath them, his harsh breath burning her neck, even as he pulled her closer to him.

No matter what happened next, she thought, I will always have this time. This moment where he kissed her tenderly, swept her hair back, and they floated in the safe haven of bliss in one another, lips coaxing more need for one another. Never had she been left hungrier than when she started, she thought, as she tucked her head under his chin and let his rumbling breaths rock her to sleep. 

 

Rey would never admit to being a lust driven woman. Oh she enjoyed sex, there was no doubt about that, and she had forged a relationship with the vibrator currently tucked in her underwear drawer at Quantico but she refused to let a man turn her head. (A part whispered that she had learned the hard way and she would tell the story. Under pressure. Usually Jess’s kind of pressure, with cocktails and sly jokes and guns at the range). 

But she had tonight, lust and need and want driving her again and again into Kylo’s arms until he had flopped beside her, utterly drained, eyes slipping close as he caressed her arm. She appreciated the tenderness even as she winced when she crossed her legs and dragged herself upright in bed. Even now, as she observed his even breathing, she remembered their limbs linking, Kylo hooking her ankles behind his back, as he pounded into her. She wanted that rough edge, she wanted the liquid gentleness, she wanted all of him, and again and again and again. In the car, in the shower, despite being sated, she still felt ravenous for his flesh against hers.

It was going to make her stupid. 

Restless, she picked up the remote and flicked on the TV, setting the volume to low. She listened to the idle chatter of early morning news shows, pre dawn light peeking underneath the curtains. She looked down at Kylo, at his long lashes sooty against his skin, and brushed a lock back from his face. 

“And in today’s news, Alistair Smith is donating over a million dollars to fighting sex trafficking. A spokesperson for Smith’s thriving Elite company stated that it sees value in bringing safety to the community. A part of this initiative would involve creating self defense camps for men and women.” A picture of Smith flashed on the screen and Rey’s mouth dropped open. She had seen this man, one early morning at Quantico. 

She and Mapp had woken up early to seize the track before the rest of the class. They were jogging back, hurried and hasty, exchanging notes on search and seizure, when she saw him step out of a black SUV. Long limbed and spidery, with a gnarled face, he had reached out to grasp Ben Solo’s hand. Rey had nearly stumbled. She had been newly assigned to the FO group but she had learned that SAIC Solo was not a morning person. He preferred to work late than to arrive early. 

Rey considered Smith. She vaguely knew of him. She climbed out of bed, gasping at the rawness of her thighs, and grabbed Kylo’s laptop. She spent a few minutes researching Smith. 

There was very little about him online. Bits here and there about how he founded his cybernetic company, SEC reports on his wealth which tipped well over into tens of billions, and the farm where he did his research. Green Acres in New Paltz, New York. And requests for FDA approval for human studies, not yet granted. A few of his cybernetic limbs were approved and were hailed as breakthroughs. 

Rey licked her lips and thought about the type of money and structure the FO would require. She couldn’t help but find it suspicious that the money would go to create camps about self defense. She thought about Vinnie LaRocca, she thought about Talon’s words about how insidious the FO were, and wondered. 

As she followed several trains of thought at once, the newscaster grew serious. Kylo’s face appeared on the screen, the anchor droning on about dangerous, still at large, etc. She half ignored it, although her conscience nagged at her, pointed out that she had her arm resting on a serial killer’s shoulder. She glanced over and saw a lost man, his lips drawn into a pout, her heart tugging at her. 

Turmoil rolled through her and she blew out her air, sinking her face into her hands. What had she done? Her core throbbed, letting her know a warm relaxing bath wouldn’t be amiss. She was torn physically from letting him have her body; she was in pieces emotionally from whatever transpired yesterday. 

The screen split and the newscaster continued talking: “Viewers are reminded that Kylo Ren is traveling with former FBI agent-in-training, Rey Kenobi.  Kenobi was at the top of her class at Quantico and a student at one of the most prestigious criminal law schools in the country. She was last seen with Kylo Ren at a warehouse in Michigan City. Do not attempt to apprehend her. She is armed and dangerous.” 

The blonde co-anchor tittered. “I know I read too many novels but maybe she’s just undercover.”

“Well, uh, Michelle, her cover is now blown,” the male anchor shot back. The blonde rolled her eyes.

“I know but what if she got in too deep?” Rey sat up, mouth dropping, cursing her stupidity. 

What if she got in too deep? 

Swearing, she nearly fell out of the bed in her haste. She looked over at Kylo, a soft sigh escaping his lips before he rolled over, hand above his head. Something like endearment tickled her heart and she batted it aside.

She couldn’t. 

Rey gathered her items, grimacing as she shrugged on a pair of jeans, grabbed the car keys, and left just as orange morning light bathed the sleepy city of Chicago. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tumble over at [HausCrashBurn.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hauscrashburn) Come by, say hi, yell at me for this chapter.
> 
> There's another version of Chapter 15's sex scene, a bit more explicit, and I'll post it on [Conflicts Internal](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10848876/chapters/24087426) in the next couple of days. Earlier in one of the chapters, Rey imagined what it would be like if she and Ben had gone through with an affair. That was written as a chapter in Conflicts Internal that you can find [here.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10848876/chapters/25344699)


	16. Chapter 16

Finn staggered off the plane, blinking in the harsh early morning light. Poe lay a supportive arm around his shoulders, hair rumpled and his beard fuller since he didn’t shave before they hopped an early morning flight from DC to Chicago. They headed toward the car, each with a slight headache and feeling worn thin. The driver took in their exhausted appearance and smirked.

“Can it, Tico,” Poe mumbled as he slid in the back seat. Special Agent Rose Tico pointed at the coffees waiting in the cupholders for them. Finn took the passenger seat and smiled gratefully at her.

“Got more greys there, Prince,” Rose teased as she put the car into gear and they drove off the tarmac. “You guys got here fast.”

“The senator let us use her private plane. She’s anxious for Kylo to be recaptured.”

“And what about Kenobi?” Rose asked, expertly slipping into traffic. Rose had been in the Chicago office for several years now. Prior to that, she had worked directly with Finn in the West Coast sting of the FO.

“She’s spying on us for him,” Finn told her. “We’re keeping it on the downlow.”

“So do you guys think Kylo has something besides just killing people? Because all I see are dead bodies and not some master plan.” Finn seemed surprised by Rose’s comment and Poe lurched forward in his seat, hissing as coffee slopped onto his hands.

“What are you talking about Rosie?” Rose made a face.

“You know I hate that name.”

“Spill,” Finn barked.

“There were several murders at a club downtown. We suspect it’s a FO club. Ran by a man called Matthew Brown. We knew he was a drug dealer but seems like there was more going on. He was found dead on the premises this morning. Lots of other bodies, too. Seems like people are taking out the FO.” Rose shot Finn a loaded glance as she took the exit for downtown. The two men sat in grim silence as they approached the club, decked in yellow caution tape and glowing under the flickering blue and red lights of Chicago Police.  

They ducked under the tape and followed Rose into the club. It was dingy in the morning, the carpet worn, the lights garish, the music replaced by the cackle of police radios.

“I’ll take you on the tour,” she informed them, marching up a discreet set of stairs. Finn’s eyebrows shot up as they entered what was Brown’s office. They stepped around two bodies lying near the entry way, shot with near perfect precision. The black bullet holes in the forehead seemed to accuse Finn of something. He shuddered and looked away while Poe requested the dossier on Brown so far. A cop handed it to him while a lead detective began to snarl at Rose over who had jurisdiction over this case. Finn ignored them all and padded toward the corpse, CSI techs walking around it, cameras flashing.

“Time of death?” Finn asked quietly as he crouched by the body.

“Anywhere between midnight and 2am. We’ll know more when we get him into the lab, ” a tech replied. He jotted something down and Finn surveyed the scene.

“And the others?”

“Around the same time. However he died from the knife wound and the others died from bullet wounds. We didn’t find the gun though.” Finn gave his thanks and walked around the room, noting the spilled contents of the desk, the bullet holes, the knocked over chair. He picked up a strand of golden hair laying across the chair. He looked at the knife again and the pieces began to fall into place. He stood up, pacing near the desk, when he noticed a bottle of cologne. He picked it up and smelled it, coughing as something astringent hit his throat.

“Better check this,” he ordered, gasping as the room began to spin. He sank down on the chair and shook his head. Rose ran over to him, her argument with the detective abandoned.

“Are you alright?”

“I think we know how Brown is getting them,” he got out through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes, his head pounding fiercely.

“It was Rey,” Poe said quietly and Finn nodded.

“He brought her here, I think. And she fought back.”

“How do you know?”

“Found some hair by the chair. Looks like hers. And I bet that knife will test positive for her prints.”

“CSI tech looks like it’s been cleaned,” Rose informed him. Finn snorted. The question hung heavy in the air as they wondered why it happened as it did. A paramedic jogged into the room and checked out Finn’s vitals, giving him a quick shot to help his body process the drug more efficiently.

“Brown is a sex trafficker,” Poe said, closing the file. “They are uncovering all sorts of things in his files here.”

“So he is FO,” Rose supplied. Finn gratefully gulped down the water that the paramedic gave him and lurched to his feet.

“Let’s see the rest of the bodies.”  His heart was sinking as the truth became clearer: Rey was helping Kylo. It wasn’t undercover, it was vigilantism. They thought they could right the wrongs of the FO. He knew Rey believed passionately in justice but this wasn’t justice. This was revenge.

And decidedly not in like with who Finn thought she was.

* * *

Kylo shot up in bed, hand immediately going for his gun. The only sound was the quiet humming of the fridge. He scrubbed a hand over his face and glanced around, wondering where Rey was. He hoisted himself out of bed and looked at the clock. Eleven twenty three. Only a few hours of sleep but he felt rested, mostly relaxed, eyes straying again to the rumpled and much abused bed.

He stumbled to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. He was certain Rey was out, maybe getting coffee, and thoughts of morning kisses filled his mind as he brushed his teeth. He glanced at the clock and realized how late it was becoming.

And she hadn’t come back yet.

He resolved to entertain himself by flipping on the couch and ordering room service. He ordered an extra omelette for her and downed coffee as he watched the clock tick by. Worry nagged at him and he swore at himself for not giving Rey a phone. His dread grew as he went to the closet only to discover that most of her stuff was gone. A frantic search around the room showed that is keys and most of his funds were gone as well. He lashed out, fist denting the wall and cursed again.

“Fuck!” He kicked at his clothes on the ground, boot flying and hitting the door. He sank on to the bed, head in his hands, as he mentally tore through everything that had passed in the last few days, wondering where it went wrong. Did he frighten her somehow? He thought he had been very courteous and she had been more than willing. He still remembered the feel of her smooth skin beneath his body, the way she arched beneath him. The impossibility becoming real as her mouth met his again, hungry and searching.

Somewhere along the way, maybe between pancakes and gas stations, maybe when he caught her shimmying underneath the flashing lights at the club, maybe watching her sleep in the car, his heart had lurched from fantasy to protective mode. He wasn’t sure if it was love but it felt damn near what he thought it should be. He cared only for her safety.

If, at the end, it was his life or hers, she would always walk away, he vowed.

He watched the shadows grow long in the room as his worry grew until he stood up, gathered his items, and left.

She wasn’t coming back.

* * *

“Well that was a clusterfuck,” Hux snarled, slapping down the paper. Phasma looked at him over her breakfast tray, a silk robe wrapped around her figure. She shot at a glance at the clock to confirm the time and raised one disdainful brow.

“I thought I told you to never bother me before ten am,” she said, brushing aside the paper. Her iPad was open to the news and she was well aware of what happened in Chicago. She didn’t need the New York Times to tell her. She had received reports all night from the men on the ground. Hux had too, wearing holds in the carpet with his pacing, his face growing more wan as reports poured in throughout the night.

Declaring last night a failure, Phasma had swaned off to bed around four am, sure that wherever Kylo was he was destroying something (probably Rey’s body, she had snidely thought, and then smirked. Maybe he could have a moment of happiness before Phama swept everything out from under his feet. There was no way he told her everything. And once she knew, well, Kenobi wouldn’t stay with him for long).

It was a merely eight thirty now and Phasma was not quite awake. Her coffee and breakfast sat on a tray on her overly sumptuous bed. Phasma had not grown up with riches and she took advantage of every trinket and luxury Snoke gave her. He probably was aware of the little hoard she was stashing in the Caymans but, as Snoke often said, alliances only last as long as they are useful.

Then it’s just fertilizer for the pigs.

“What are you doing here?” she asked again. Hux bared his teeth and ran his hand through his hair.

“Snoke wants to meet us at nine.”

“Where?” This question was the most important.

Hux gave her a leveled, blank look. “At the barns.”

Swallowing back the sudden rush of fear, Phasma slipped off the bed and stood before Hux. She searched his face for an answer. She was taller than him and had always enjoyed the slight tipping of his face when he had reached for a kiss. She sometimes missed those heady early days. He was a romantic at heart, she had discovered, when he was sending flowers to her office and finding rare moments to press her against the wall, lips seeking hers, hands lifting the hem of her skirt hurriedly.

She had liked it, she would admit to herself, but only late at night, when wine warmed her blood.

He made her feel beautiful, protected, enchanting.

But then Snoke’s words had come to her one morning as she watched him sleep. He looked softer when asleep, mouth slightly open and lines faded. Dappled sunlight played on their bedspread and his red hair spilled around him, a lock hanging over his face. He was incredibly cunning, she had thought, hand trailing down a freckled arm. She wondered what the future might hold for them.

Alliances only last as long as they are useful, Snoke’s voice had echoed in her head.

And she wondered how useful Hux was finding her.

She had left before he had woken up. And despite his calls, texts, and showing up at her office, confusion in every line, she simply told him the truth.

Alliances only last as long as they are useful.

Now, his grey eyes were tentative, searching, worried. She could see the little lines around his eyes tighten.

“Are you...prepared?” she asked.

“I’m always prepared,” he tossed back. “I’ll wait for you in the foyer.” He turned on his heel and marched out, the mark of his military years in his bearing. Phasma blew out her breath and got dressed, stashing a little pistol in her jacket pocket. It was still cool outside, wisps of fog hanging like shrouds between half skeletal trees, little pale green buds sprouting at the tips of the branches.

Hux drove the golf cart the few miles to the barn. She wrapped her coat around her, listening the buzz of the battery and the hum of the wheels on the damp asphalt.

“Did he say anything to you this morning?”

“Only to deliver the message that we need to speak.”

“How concerned is he about Kylo, do you think?” Phasma asked. Hux shrugged, a minimal gesture.

“What happened in Chicago is not a good look for the FO. The fact that Kylo and the girl were able to take out some of our top operatives there implies that we’ve been sloppy.”

“I’m hardly concerned with that end of the operations,” Phasma said coolly. Hux snorted.

“Of course not. You deal with morale and deception.” He shot her a quick glance. “Excellent work with the reporter, by the way. That piece of Rey was pretty devastating.”

“She’ll have no career now,” Phasma agreed. “But I worry about her. I was re-reading Mitaka’s report and he noted that she was really close to Prince and Dameron.” Hux’s hands tightened on the wheel as Finn Prince was named. It was a particular insult to both of them that Finn was able to penetrate their organization so deeply that the West Coast operations still had not completely recovered.

“You think she’ll communicate with them,” Hux replied. “I agree. I’ve got a man watching them and I’m working on finding someone to replace Mitaka who can monitor the intercampus communications.”

Phasma offered him a glacial smile. Hux could always be relied upon to try to outmaneuver their opponents.

The cart glided to a stop and they climbed out, walking in sync on their way to the barn. Phasma could hear a piteous whining inside and her heart gave a little lurch. She swallowed again and Hux held the door open for her, ushering her inside.

The barn did not quite meet expectations. The outside was a warm red with white stripes, just like any kind of picturesque barn. There were some stables in the front to give it an authentic feel. But it was behind the stables and below the ground that held the real work. Concrete floors and steel beams, rows of glowing computers, techs scurrying between glass cages.

Snoke stood above, looking down at the cages. He was dressed all in black, a large ring gleaming on his spindly fingers, hands clutching a gold tipped cane.

“Ah, good morning, my generals,” he rasped. He surveyed them, his thin lips twisted into a semblance of a smile. Hux straightened, his hands behind his back, and Phasma returned Snoke’s cool glance. She heard a shout below and watched a man being torn from his cage and dragged to the chair in the center of the room. He struggled, fists flailing, as the guards came to help strap him down before a doctor injected him.

“Today, I think, we will conquer the problem,” Snoke wheezed. “At last, a fully cybernetic mind. After all, how does one replace a frontal lobe? It’s where our personalities are stored, some say.”

“I’m not sure I see the medical need for this,” Hux said through stiff lips. Snoke stood taller, growing into his pontificating personality. Phasma tried not to roll her eyes.

“Imagine if we could heal sickness in the mind with a chip, control and regulate chemicals which would erode depression, autism, bipolar disorder. Heal PTSD, help recover from brain injuries.”

“Can the sales speech,” Phasma drawled. Snoke smirked and Hux watched as they began to cut open the man’s head below.

“Last night, grave mistakes were made. We’ve lost several important people,” Snoke began, his voice steely and low.

“And you continuously underestimate Kylo,” Hux returned. “He may be temperamental but he’s decisive in battle. Effective and brutal.”

“It’s why he was your chosen assassin,” Phasma reminded him.

“And soon our prodigal son will return to us,” Snoke replied. “He can see no other way forward. And we will have what he most wants.” Phasma and Hux exchanged curious looks. Snoke smiled ghoulishly.

“I was spying on them, found their hotel.” Phasma saw Hux’s fists tightening and looked at Snoke through half lowered lids. He had done this without their knowledge.

Alliances were useful things, she thought.

“My spy has very interesting, shall we say information?” Snoke nearly snickered at that and Hux hid his grimace. Phasma tried not to sigh at the juvenile humor and turned her back on the  scene below. She had no need to see brains being splattered just after breakfast.

“Why not capture him?” Hux demanded.

“Because Kylo is useful to me if he is willing. I don’t want a reluctant servant. And having him by my side is all the more powerful for how it disturbs Leia Organa.”

“She’s just now aware,” Phasma pointed it out.

“And she sits on both Justice and Defense committees,” Snoke replied. “I’ve got a very lucrative contract coming up at the Pentagon.”

“She thinks your work is immoral, ” Hux supplied. “You think to bargain with her.” Snoke offered a ghastly imitation of a smile.

“I want very few things, Armitage. I want that contract, to be sure, but I also want Kylo to come back willing. I’ll give up one for the other, if I need to. Kylo is the ultimate goal.”

“And you’ll use his mother. Carrot or stick,” Phasma finished.

“Or his lover.”

“You’ll have to capture Rey first.”

Ah, Rey Kenobi. Lovely little Kenobi. If only she knew the truth,” Snoke creaked, a gleeful little smile on his skeletal face. “We won’t have to capture her.”

"Why not?" Phasma asked. She saw the picture but she didn't quite see how the pieces were aligned. 

“Because she’s on her way here.” Snoke chuckled at the amazement on Phasma and Hux’s faces. “I guess Kylo isn’t quite the man he thinks he is.”

“You’ll think she’ll be quiet after she’s done being bait? Or he'll behave after you've disposed of her? ” Hux snapped. Snoke gestured to the operating room below where blood dribbled onto the floor, a harsh red on glaring grey.

“No, I think she’ll be the method to ensuring Kylo’s future permanent compliance. And this, my children, is the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week:
> 
> Who the hell is Rey Kenobi? 
> 
> Hope it was worth the wait! Let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finds out the truth of who she is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone still reading this thing: Sorry for delays. I had vacation, my kid had his birthday, people came in from out of town, it was a mess. Back to weekly updates. Comments let me know what's working and what's not for y'all. Thanks! 
> 
> Acronym flashback: OPR: Office of Professional Responsibility 
> 
> SAIC: Special Agent in Charge 
> 
> NGO: Non government organization

Rey moved in nonsensical circles. She got coffee, she drove around, she huddled in the corner across the street from the club and watched Finn, Poe, and a woman she didn’t recognize exit. They were chatting animatedly, Finn’s arm slung companionably around the young woman’s shoulders. Rey’s eyes burned and she swallowed back the tears. 

Her feet urged her to cross the distance, to ask for mercy, to throw herself at the safety of her friends.

But she remembered Thanisson’s cruel words and the OPR threat. That seemed months ago, she thought dazedly, as she turned around, gave her back to that forbidden path, and headed to the car. She spent the next hour aimlessly driving around until she decided upon her next path. She shoved a cap on her head and a hoodie over her hair and trailed a group of students into one of the libraries at University of Chicago. 

She was waved in with a group and, as a young man cheerfully flirted with someone in the stacks while she strolled by, she snagged the student ID hanging out of his back pocket by a cord. 

Freshmen, Rey thought idly, as she wandered through the library before finding a terminal just as a student left. Quick typing kept the computer unlocked and Rey thanked the computer gods as she opened up a newspaper database.

And for the first time in a dozen years, she typed the names. 

Matthew Kenobi

Alyssa Kenobi 

Results poured in and she began to sort by relevance. 

Rey read until her eyes ached and the bright sunlight filling the room was replaced by the harsh lights overhead. Students filtered in and out. Finally, she began to print out her findings by keying in the student’s ID number. She felt a twinge of regret as she gathered up the printing. She had almost emptied the card.

Rey stuffed the paper into her bag and, tugging the hood over her eyes, headed toward the front door, pausing to stop by the front desk. A student was slumped in the chair, a book in front of him, highlighter streaked across his chin.

“Hey I think someone dropped this,” she said, sliding the card over. The kid didn’t even look up, just nodded, and dropped the card into the lost and found box. Shrugging, Rey turned and strode out into the early twilight. 

She strode purposefully toward the car,  watching the wisps of clouds as they floated across the flat greyish moon. She wondered what Kylo was doing and if she should go back. She wondered if he was even waiting for her anymore. Regret dug its nails in even further and she closed her eyes.

She was too far gone to go back now. 

Rey looked down at the picture of her parents that once graced the style section of the Washington Post. Glamorous and grinning, they stared boldly into the camera, arms linked with movers and shakers of the time. The article proudly spouted off facts about their non government organization, the contracts they oversaw, and the work they did with fighting sex trafficking. The NGO focused on educating girls and improving conditions for childbirth in third world countries. 

Standing next to them, smiling at the camera, was Senator Leia Organa and her husband, FBI director Han Solo. The article mentioned that both families had spent the day together earlier and had rejoiced in watching their children play together. 

She crushed the papers, tears welling in her eyes, as she racked her mostly hazy memories of those past years. She would have been four years old then and Ben almost fourteen and she wondered what they even talked about at that time. He probably had been assigned to watch her play with Barbies, loudly complaining all the time, while their parents toasted each other’s good work. 

Rey couldn’t remember and she was damn sure Kylo could. He knew with every teasing smile, every dropped kiss along her freckles, every brush of his body against hers. The desire to rescue her from the First Order appeared in a new, harsh light--less a need for her, perhaps even a desire for her, rather than a continued need to watch over her. And, if he got off on it somehow, all the better. 

Bitterness was an ashy taste in her mouth and she pressed her lips together, wishing she could burn off any traces of his kisses. 

She flung the car door open and hopped in, gunning the engine as she tore out of the parking lot, racing along Interstate 80 until Chicago was only a dream in her rearview mirror. 

 

Rey drove through the night, pulling off into a rest stop so that she could sleep. She pushed back the seat and stared up at the grey ceiling, listening to car doors slam and murmured voices of half asleep kids and the hacking coughs of drivers. Kylo had left a jacket in the back seat and she draped it across herself, the faint hint of his cologne tickling his nose. ‘

She didn’t know what she was doing, she admitted to herself, but she trusted her sense in the shape of things. She knew without a doubt that Alistair Smith was Snoke and she had a few interesting articles about him next to her on the passenger seat that built up that theory. 

But more than that was the pressing sense that she was somehow integral to it all. To whoever Kylo Ren was. She remembered the file that she found on Ben Solo back at the academy: decorated NYPD officer, known for running a community center, and a member of the special victims unit. He had done a lot of undercover work when he joined the FBI. Somewhere along the way, she reasoned, he had lost himself in the story he had created.

She wondered if she did too. 

Rey thought about her parents. She knew they were doing important work--that’s how her nanny had phrased it to her as a child. “I know you miss them child, but they need to do their important work,” she would say before fussing over the glum child. They ran an important NGO, Allied for All, aimed in particular at helping young girls. Her father had been a doctor and her mother a women’s center administrator until the NGO took over their lives and grew into a sprawling mess. It took them from London to DC. It took her parents from her. 

Rey’s memories of her family before the boarding school were fractured now. Half glimpses of family picnics, of sitting on the floor between her mother’s knees as her mom wound Rey’s hair into a complicated braid, of her father bouncing her on his knees. He had hazel eyes, like her own, but his were kind and warm. Memories of being tucked into bed, her father’s deep voice rumbling her to sleep as he told her about princes and dragons and three little bears. 

She remembered clearly the night that they died. She was being a little brat, screaming at her mom that it wasn’t fair that they always left her. Rey’s cheeks stained pink at the memory now. Her mother was in a rush, a column of black silk and sleek silver necklaces. She hastily placated Rey with promises of a zoo trip the next day. Rey had stuck her bottom lip out but sulkily had accepted it. Her mother had given her a hasty kiss, a red mark on her cheek that Rey didn’t bother to rub off. 

She had tried to keep the mark on for days after their death until the nanny held her down and scrubbed the mark off. Rey had slapped her and run to her parents’ room, locking the door and flinging herself on the bed. She stayed there, sniffing her mother’s perfume on the pillow, and watched the lengthening shadows play on the wall. 

The next day, the nanny had told her about a mysterious benefactor and a boarding school. She hadn’t cared for it, faintly listening, until a week later she was a on a train north. 

Life before had become a distant shadow. 

Now it was rising up again and she could see all the nooks and crannies. The work that her parents did screamed of secrets. And she wondered how close her parents were to the Empire, the organization that preceded the First Order.

And if their death was really caused by a drunk driver after all. 

  
  


Rey had a terrible rest, her eyes bleary and mouth cottony, when she pulled out of the rest stop and headed down the freeway. She took the first exit for a truck stop that offered pancakes and showers. She cleaned herself up, mechanically going through the motions, before ordering a large breakfast and gulping down cups of coffee. She had eaten little yesterday and now she couldn’t help but gobble up the eggs and bacon and pancakes. 

She stared at the cars in the parking lot and wondered what she would do next. It was a little more than revenge that motivated her to exchange dollars for quarters and that took her to the only pay phone, nested into a corner by the bathrooms. 

“Baltimore Memorial,” came the crisp voice over the line. 

“Han Solo, please. This is his daughter in law,” Rey said sweetly. The nurse made a cooing noise and the phone was silent for a moment as she was put through. 

“Hello?” came Han’s tentative voice, crusty and thin, and Rey’s heart seized for a moment. She clutched the phone tightly.

“Hello, Han.”

“Rey. Are you okay? I saw the news--”

“I’m fine,” she cut him off. “How are you?” 

“Oh, you know me.” Han’s gruff voice carried a hint of humor and Rey couldn’t fight the smile that spread across her face. 

“Why are you calling me? I thought you were with Ben.”

“His name is Kylo now.”

“That is not his name,” Han grunted. Rey narrowed her eyes.

“Actually no, Han, I wanted to talk to you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. I want to know at what point you connected me with that little girl that your son played with all those years ago before the charity gala my parents held.” The line was so silent Rey was afraid he hung up on her. But she plowed on: “Did you remember me as a little girl? Did you think Kylo would remember too so you thought he wouldn’t slaughter a child he played with? What do you know about my parents?”

“Rey...I meant to tell you.” 

“It’s always that way isn’t it? Such good intentions right? It was good intentions that led your son to the First Order. It was good intentions that had you cross my path. I imagine that was not at all the accident I thought it was,” Rey snarled into the phone. She heard Han inhale shakily at the other end.

“Now hold on here. What do you mean good intentions that led my son to the First Order? What are you getting at Rey?” She opened her mouth to fire his question back at him when a finger pushed down on the phone hook. The dial tone sang loudly. She looked up to see Kylo staring down at her. 

“Hello, Rey.” 

She stared at him, at the uncompromising hardness in his face. He gently took the phone from her and replaced it in the cradle. Rey found that she could not swallow. 

“I told you, I was not going to be a fuck and forget,” he said quietly. 

“That’s not...that’s not what…” her words died in her throat as he leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. He wore a long sleeved black henley, muscles she was too familiar with, coiled tightly underneath the fabric. Her heart picked up in an erratic manner and she could feel her cheeks growing warm. He was coiled and waiting and she remembered how he stood in his cell, the flat darkness in his eyes. She found the same look there now. 

“I’m sorry I walked out. I had work to do.”

“Work you couldn’t share with me?” 

Rey lifted her chin and met his placid gaze with one of her own. “Given you’ve been lying to me the entire time I’ve known you, no, I couldn’t.”

“Lied to you? Me?”

“Tell me, Kylo, did you think about how you were forced to babysit me when you were fucking me?” She couldn’t help the hysterical edge in her voice and she pressed her lips shut, before turning from him and marching outside. She could feel him behind her, a maelstrom of dark energy. She wondered if he would slam her into the car. She wondered if he would cover his mouth with hers, if she could somehow find a way to get on his lap in the car and ease the building pressure within her.

Rey was astonished at herself. 

This was not exactly what she was envisioning when she thought about confronting Kylo. 

He took her arm, a loose grip, and guided her away from the car to the field behind the gas station.

“They still have cameras here,” she snapped. Kylo dropped her arm.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I want to understand,” he ground out. He looked around, assuring himself that they were alone, before leveling his gaze at her. “What the fuck, Rey?” 

“Your family knew mine! We spent our childhoods together!”

“What are you talking about?” Kylo asked calmly. He pocketed his hands into his jeans and looked at her expectantly. Rey ground her teeth together.

“I saw you with that man, Alistair Smith.” Kylo’s brows shot up at the whiplash change of subject and Rey felt victory surge through her.

“Smith is a reliable donor to the FBI--”

“Don’t give me that shit, he’s Snoke,” Rey snapped.

“And how did you arrive at that conclusion?”

“Smith runs a variety of summer camps through shell companies. Camps from which, coincidentally, children who attend seem to disappear. All the kids who have been reported missing once attended these camps. He’s hid them behind layers and layers of shell companies but the connection is there. He didn’t start giving money to the FBI until you are appointed as the special agent in charge of the First Order investigation. You were made SAIC shortly after the first Kylo Ren murders. Thanisson in OPR tried to get me fired. He attended Smith’s business seminars. So, coincidentally, did you. All of the warehousing and shipping centers? Same places where Smith has his warehouse and shipping centers.”

“All circumstantial,” Kylo said. 

“There are no such things as coincidence,” Rey snapped back. “He works in cybernetic limb replacement and technology. We found victims with missing limbs. He’s not as smart as he thinks he is.” Kylo continued to stare at her and she jabbed a finger into his chest. “And you! You got in too deep. You were doing undercover and something pulled you in. Something made you turn from Ben Solo, undercover agent, into Kylo Ren, killer on a leash. What is it? What does he have on you?”

Kylo said nothing. He licked his bottom lip and looked away, brow furrowing. Rey wanted to push on, to wring the confession from him. But sometimes, sometimes, you have to give them enough rope to hang themselves, she thought, remembering Ben Solo’s lecture on interrogating techniques. 

“You’re mostly right, Rey, on a lot of things,” Kylo finally said, his voice low and even. “But I didn’t get in too deep. Snoke knew I was undercover from the beginning.”

“Then how could you? You’re a good man. Or, at least you were once.”

Kylo let out a little mocking laugh.

“Only you would say so,” he muttered, “and I’m grateful for that.” She reached out and touched his forearm, eyes entreating him to continue. Kylo blew out his air.

“Snoke told me the truth. See, Rey, I grew up with you. You were everywhere when I was a child and I’m not talking just annoying babysitting gigs. Pictures, newspaper clippings, the subject of lectures from my mom. I thought she did it because she loved Alyssa and Matthew and wanted to honor their memories by helping you succeed.

“But Snoke showed me what was really going on.” Rey waited, her blood roaring in her ears.

“Snoke showed me it was penitence. Penitence for my mom ordering your parents’ deaths, Rey.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prolly the biggest crime is that Rey stole that kid's printing money. Pfft.
> 
> "the shape of things" is shamelessy stolen from Hannibal book, in how Harris describes Clarice's new way of thinking


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments will be modded thanks to the jerkfaces who thought it was funny to use anon to leave cruel remarks the past couple of weeks. 
> 
> For those who don't know, I nearly took my fics off due to these types of things happening. I wasn't a true Reylo, I was a pretentious writer (prolly) and a shitty person. If I'm a bad writer, dude, be specific, don't just be an ass for me taking my time to put out a fic for fun. Some fics,as a result, were deleted permanently. If you know which ones you want which were taken down either message me here or at my Tumblr, HausCrashBurn, and I'll email you those fics in pdf format. 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter of fake Reylo pretentious trash.

Kylo’s words slammed into Rey with all the strength of a freight train. Her blood roared in her ears and her hands shook and she longed to scream at the sky, to fling herself at him and pummel him with her fists. Oh gods, she had let him touch her and love her and he knew, he knew,  _ he knew _ why she had lost everything. He knew and had taunted and baited and had never told her all while he had seduced her. Bile rose in her throat and she needed to scrub every inch of her skin until it was raw and bleeding.  She clung to every ounce of her training to stand still before him, betraying her inner turmoil with only a few rapid blinks. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, deadly cool. Kylo shook his head.

“It’s okay, Rey. Let it out, hit me, do whatever you need to do.” She could hear the rough edge of desperation in his voice, his need for her to tell him he was still in her good graces. 

She only stared at him. “Tell me more.”

Kylo sighed and ran a hand through his hair, biting his bottom lip. 

“When I was undercover with Snoke, I already knew about Vinnie LaRocca. I had run into Kyle when I started undercover, discovering he was there too, writing off his dad’s debts.” The bitterness coated every word. “But he had found me in the archives. He had been watching me for a long time. You too. And you, you had a larger file, connected to your parents.” 

He stopped and looked at Rey, leaning forward to look into her eyes, searching for something.

“You have to understand. I always knew who you were, ever since I was a teenager. My mom had those pictures and stories and I grew to care about you. I still remember that photo of you dressed as a cow for a school play in what? Third or fourth grade?” Rey did not crack a smile, only folded her arms and stood resolute. Kylo rushed on: “Or your prom photo. You were gorgeous. I was just getting into the FBI then and yeah, I ran a check on your date. Turns out so did my dad.” And his crooked smile was so much like Han’s that Rey’s heart wavered for a moment. But she jutted her jaw forward. 

“What did Kyle show you?”

“A letter. From my mother to Snoke, requesting First Order help to remove your parents as an obstacle for a pet bill of hers stuck in the senate. As the daughter of Darth Vader...well, Snoke didn’t refuse her.”

“And the price?” Rey demanded, her voice pitching higher. “What did my parents cost?” 

Kylo sucked on his top lip and looked away. “No cost. Just a favor later.” 

The cool words struck, the slight push that broke the wall she was erecting around herself. Her bottom lip trembled and a tear leaked out of her eye. She sniffed once and Kylo had her in his arms, holding her delicately, his nose pressed into her hair. Rey held onto her anger, held it closely to her, and refused to fall apart in his arms, refused to press tear stained cheeks to his chest. 

“How could you?” she demanded, voice weak and thin. “You’ve known all this time and you said nothing. How can you love me and hide this?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you more,” he swore. 

“Liar,” Rey accused. “You knew this would drive me away.” Kylo exhaled heavily.

“It’s not exactly an easy subject to bring up, Rey. Hallmark doesn’t have a card for this. My mom murdered your mom but I still think you’re hot?” The dry humor drew a harsh laugh. 

“Should’ve checked Etsy,” she grumbled but allowed herself to rest her head on his chest. His arms tightened around her and she let herself float in her grief and anger and hurt, that nasty red ball of hurt that she needed to shove at Kylo, to make him burn with her pain too. But she swallowed it down as she listened to his heart hammering in his chest.

Somewhere, buried deep beneath the conniving and the cunning and the murderous intent, there was pain within him too, she realized. And it matched her own in some part. 

Blowing out her breath, she leaned into him, let him take her weight, and cried until his shirt was soaked and there were only soft little hiccups left. 

“I don’t forgive you,” she said, “but I can understand.” 

“I love you and if this is makes me look desperate and weak, then fuck it. If that’s all I get from you, if yesterday was all we ever had, then I’ll be forever grateful for it.” Rey eyed him cautiously, at the naked need on his face, and stepped away, swiping her palm at the dried tears on her cheeks. She didn’t know what to make of such open and foolhardy words so only nodded once, curtly, and turned away, tramping through the grass back to the car. 

“How did you get here?” she asked, wanting to avoid the subject of her parents.

“Stole a car. But I don’t think I should drive it anymore. I imagine it’s been reported by now.”

“Well, I imagine we are both going the same place,” Rey suggested carefully. Kylo nodded. 

“Snoke.”

“I was heading toward Alistair Smith’s place in Maryland.”

“No, he’ll be in New York at his other home, at his technology campus. It’s also the hub of FO operations.”

“The legitimate activity on the campus helps hide the other.” 

Kylo nodded. “It’s also huge. It’s about eighty acres, a lot of it still wooded. He can, and does, hide quite a few things.”

“He must love that,” Rey mused. She unlocked the car and Kylo slipped into the passenger seat beside her. “He must get a thrill off hiding his activities under everyone’s noses, right in plain sight.”

“He does,” Kylo affirmed. “What else have you discovered about him?”

Rey bit the bottom of her lip.  “I only got to him by thinking about you.” Kylo lifted his brows. She continued thoughtfully: “I knew you were had done undercover work while at the NYPD and that when you started at the FBI, you went right into the BAU. BAU agents don’t always do undercover work. They tend to be more advisory or do a lot of field work. Somehow you received an undercover assignment, something related to the FO, and…” 

“And?” Kylo prompted. He took a moment to direct her onto a side highway that ran parallel to the interstate before veering off into corn fields. 

“I think you got in too deep. Maybe it was Vinnie that set you off. Maybe it was your mom, now that I know about her.” She swallowed thickly here, knuckles whitening on the steering wheel as she thought about Leia Organa Solo inviting her to lunch, chatting with her, and offering her advice. All of Rey’s admiration for the older woman soured and churned in her gut. Kylo laid a hand on her thigh, his face pinched with worry.

“I know,” he said quietly. And they sat together, the sound of the tires thrumming on the highway the only sound for a few long moments, the warmth of his hand soaking into her leg, filling her with some level of comfort she didn’t understand. 

“Why did you kill those kids?” she finally asked. Kylo jerked his hand away and she knew why. The preparatory school murders haunted them all. They were gruesome and considered the first murders of Kylo Ren, the first of his signature style. Rey had no doubt now that Snoke had ordered Kylo to kill others before that debut. 

“Snoke was starting to suspect something was not quite right about me,” Kylo began tightly. “The FBI was completing more successful raids and taking out higher level operatives. So he wanted to assure himself that I was legitimately his man. He knew I was with the FBI but he thought I was his man inside, like Thanisson.” Rey sat quietly, eyes on the road, while she waited for Kylo to spin his tale. 

“He showed me the letter from my mom requesting the murder of your parents. He told me it was my destiny. From my grandfather to my mother, we’ve all been involved in the dark side, the side of crime. I couldn’t escape it. It was time to embrace my destiny and let the world see who I truly was.”

Rey licked her lips before she spoke. “There was a threat in there.” 

“Yes,” he nodded. “If I didn’t do as he wanted, he would release that letter from my mom. At that time, I thought maybe I could confront her, find the truth, and protect her. So I did it. And, I believed him. There is such much darkness and so many shadows in my family. Growing up, dad would be gone half the time and my mom wasn’t exactly reliable, always off either at Congress or campaigning. I don’t know either of my parents well. I had no problem believing the tale Snoke told me.”

“Do you think it’s true now?”

Kylo shrugged. “In part. The best lies are always built upon half truths.” It was her turn now to rest her hand on his thigh. But he didn’t accept the passive gesture; he took her hand in his and gripped it tightly, squeezing her fingers together. 

“The preparatory school wasn’t all that it seemed. It was owned by Hux’s family and a breeding ground, really, for selecting those to join the ranks of the First Order. That’s why it was a school for reforming wayward children,” Kylo added with a wry smile. “But Snoke was done with Brendol Hux and his plans. Brendol hoped to make men loyal to him and not to the FO. So Snoke had Armitage Hux go through and take those he knew would be loyal to the FO. I had my limits. I wasn’t going to indiscriminately murder teenagers, many of them considered burdens on society through no fault of their own.” Rey could hear the passion in his voice and remembered the center he started in New York for troubled children. She had briefly looked it up online to see that it was still operating as a non profit with afterschool programs and free food programs during the summer. Therapists volunteered their time and Ben often showed up to make pitches about giving back to the community. 

The goodness within him was being eaten up by this darkness, she thought. 

“Snoke really wanted more of a warning anyways and I got to build a list of targets. The rapists, the ones who murdered their little sisters in their sleep.” He paused to snort. “I always found it ironic that the outrage toward those murders faded away once people found out little Johnny was diddling with his brother at night. He was seventeen and I nailed his hands to a desk after I killed him.”

“Cut off his penis, too,” Rey added and Kylo shrugged.

“His brother was seven,” he said nonchalantly and Rey shuddered at the horror in the world. There was nothing to say now, now that she had the truth laid out in front of her. Kylo had murdered to stay deep within the First Order, to try to get at its heart, and somewhere along the way, he tacked a righteousness to his actions. He believed the beauty within each life he took. She stared out at the long highway, at the corn stalks lining the road, and wondered sadly what Ben was like before this assignment. What kind of man he would have become on a different path. 

What kind of woman she would have become if her parents had lived. 

She inhaled deeply and sat up straighter. A thirst for vengeance had begun to creep along her veins, whispering seductively to her. So much had been taken away. Why was she not in a position to take her pound of flesh? Laws could only do so much, the darkness slithered, and here, both murderers walked free, protected by wealth and prestige.

Untouchable except by the gun on her hip.

Rey swallowed. “So what do we do when we get to Snoke’s compound?”

And Kylo smiled, all shark teeth, at the darkness in her words. 

  
  


Senator Leia Organa Solo sat at her husband’s bedside, one brow raised skeptically. 

“So Rey called you.”

“Yeah, she did. She remembered that she used to stay with us as a child. And she said that Ben was somehow lured into the First Order,” Han grunted, voice starting to strain at the end. Leia shook her head and patted Han’s hand.

“So at least she’s safe,” she murmured.

“She’s with Ben,” Han snapped. “We don’t know how much he’s changed.”

Leia shook her head. “He’s in love with her, you know.” Han snorted. “No, I saw them together at the asylum before he broke out. The way he watched her. And I have on good authority from Agent Dameron that it appears that he saved her life. Two First Order agents pretending to FBI agents took her out of that hospital near Gent plantation and tried to kill her.”

“Thinking with his dick doesn’t stop him from being executed for murder,” Han nearly bellowed. Leia shushed him and tossed a look over her shoulder.

“They’re going to force me to leave if you can’t remain calm,” she said sharply.

“My son is a murderer and he’s on a killing spree and you expect me to remain calm? You saw Chicago! I need to get out of here.”

Leia was quiet for a moment. “Actually, what Dameron said was that it looked like Rey did most of the killing.” Han inhaled sharply at this, pressing his lips together in a thin bitter line.

“Great, now he’s got an apprentice.”  Leia shook her head.

“I think something more is going on here. I sent a message to Luke. It’s going to arrive as a telegram, can you believe that? He chooses the most remote places, I swear.” 

“What’s Luke gonna do? Psychoanalyze Ben to death? He should’ve seen this when Ben was younger.”

“You’re being unreasonable. Whatever Ben is doing now has everything to do with Snoke.”

“Snoke? Snoke just tapped into something already there.”

“Wrong,” Leia simply said. “Snoke did something to my boy. There is still goodness in him. I see it when he looks at Rey.” 

Han shook his head stubbornly. “It won’t save him from the chair.” 

“Federal crimes are executed by lethal injection,” Leia reminded him and Han shot her a dark look. Her phone began to ring insistently and Leia glanced at the display. “It’s Cerise, I need to take this.”

“You were always more concerned with work than Ben anyways,” Han complained and Leia shot him a dark look.

“I could say the same about you,” she said shrewishly before swiping on the call. “Hello Cerise.” She listened intently before talking with her aide about ways to cajole a senator to vote for Leia’s amendment. 

In DC, Cerise listened with half an ear, making noises when appropriately while doodling on her notepad. She sat in Leia’s chair in her office. Cerise’s own smaller office was located outside the door but she was enjoying the rich appointments of a senator who had occupied a space for twenty odd years. 

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take care of it right away,” Cerise said before hanging up. She sighed and thumbed through her contacts before locating the number she needed and pressing send. 

“Cerise,” Snoke’s leathery voice creaked through the phone. She tried to repress a shudder.

“Sir, I’ve got my report on the senator.”

“How is she faring?”

“Putting up a good face. Han Solo is expected to make a full recovery.”

“Such a pity. I was hoping my boy would eliminate him.”

“I didn’t think Solo was a bother to you, sir.”

“He’s not, more like as a sweet gift to the emperor, had he still been alive. Solo certainly made things difficult for the Empire syndicate.” Snoke chuckled, a watery rasp that had Cerise fighting the bile rising in her throat. 

“Does she still support her son?”

“Fully, sir.”

“Excellent. Then make preparations for our visit to Senator Organa. I want her to know how tightly I’ve got her entrapped.”

“She’ll deny the letter about Rey’s parents.”

“Hmmm, yes, won’t she?” Snoke snickered. “But you forged her signature so well. As well as you do now.”  Cerise preened at the praise.

“I’ll send another report soon,” she promised.

“And we’ll send word when we will collect the senator,” Snoke added before ending the call. And Cerise smiled, placed the phone on the desk, and practiced Leia’s signature on a sheet of paper until she had the flourish just right.

After all, the suicide note had to feel authentic, she reasoned. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never gone a month without an update except in my side fics. Omg, I am so sorry. My laptop had issues where the monitor didn't work and then my professional life got extremely busy with conferences and articles being accepted for publication. I apologize and this won't happen again. Now that we've moved into the denouement, and I've got bits of that written in other drafts, this will go a lot faster. 
> 
> Tip of the hat to Sansacat for reading the first half. I am extremely unconfident in this chapter. But we need to get going. A part of it appeared in Reylo Sin Anthology's Day of Smut on Tumblr. 
> 
> A piece of mine was published in the Reylo Fanfiction Anthology, an in canon story, called [Luminous Beings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12206316/chapters/27720822). Give it a gander, if you'd like. 
> 
> Thank you for all continuing to stay with me.

Darkness fell swiftly and the car’s light beams were swallowed by the fog rising as the sun set. Kylo flipped on the heater while tires ate up ribbons of sun baked asphalt. Glittering oases of light in the distance gave way to small strips of old gas stations and bars with peeling paint. Exhaustion prickled in the corner of Rey’s eyes and lay heavily on her shoulders, the bitterness of cold coffee doing little but to make her grimace in disgust. 

Kylo fiddled with the radio, static interspersed with country, snatches of public radio, and an occasional thin whisper of the grating beat of guitars and crooning voices. He rumbled along and Rey blinked in surprise at Kylo Ren humming Bon Iver. 

At last, another set of lights, brighter and clustered, had them turning off into a strip motel. Kylo hustled the room with the clerk, two beds, and Rey collapsed on the scratchy comforter and closed her weary eyes.

She was hollow but driven by purpose.

She didn’t know how she could hold both in her mind but she had made room for the blankness she felt with the blooming desire of vengeance. Darkness ate away at the edges of her mind and she welcomed it, allowed herself to grow prickly, sharp spikes that left her skin hard and seeking a fight. 

Kylo wisely left her alone and went to find a drugstore. She floated in a half awake state until the salty smell of fries coaxed her awake. A bag of food, stained with grease, sat on the table and perspiration slid down a cup of cola. Rey inhaled the food, listening to the buzzing coming from the bathroom. Munching on a fry, she flicked her fingers through a drugstore bag and spied an over large shirt. Assuming it was for her, she tossed off her road worn clothes and slipped on the soft shirt before sliding back on the bed. She listened to the heater hum and click off. The ice machine down the hall clattering unevenly. The sharp buzzing in the bathroom and the splash of water. 

A moment later the door opened and she heard shuffling about until the bed across the way squeaked. She sniffed.

“There’s plenty of space here,” she whispered to the wall. Rey heard him the quick intake of breath and the bed creaking, her bed dipping, his stiff form lying next to her. Without thinking, she turned over and pressed her nose into his bare shoulder.

“I don’t know what you want,” Kylo told the ceiling, eyes shuttered. Rey squeezed her eyes shut and shifted her body so that it lay along his. One leg crossed over his. 

“I think I need to be held,”she responded in a small voice. His turn was violent, the bed protesting, as he flipped toward her, hands cradling her to him, leg thrown over hers. She was bundled and safe and the sharp edges began to fade and to dull. 

There was a connection between them and she was an idiot for denying it. 

She gazed at his face, finger trailing over his shaven skin, his beard gone.

“Why’d you get rid of it?”

“Too much work.” 

“I liked the way it felt against my thighs.” The confession felt obscene in the dark room. 

“Then I’ll let it grow back,” he purred and the response sent her heart careening against his ribs. She splayed her hands across his ribs, traced the corded muscles in his arms, the loose waistband of his pants. His breathing hitched but he did not move. She wondered if he were crouching in anticipation like the predator that lived beneath his skin. Or waiting for her cue. 

She had no need to be devoured tonight. 

Rey buried her face in his chest, inhaling his soapy scent mixed with mint and sandalwood, his hands rubbing soothing circles on her back. 

“I don’t know who to trust.”

“Me either.” 

Rey sat up and took his face in her hands. She studied every line and curve--the moles dotting his face, the line of freckles across the bridge of his nose, the fullness of his lips. She could feel tenderness welling up within her and wondered what would happen if she gave it free reign. It submerged her hollowness in gentle waves and propelled her forward to place a tease of a kiss on his lips. 

He remained still as she scattered fluttery kisses along his cheeks and jawline, his tentative fingers curling against her shoulder.  He was coiled, she could sense the bunching of his muscles, the ragged taste of his breathing. She moved to his lips and he struck, arms caging her in as he crushed her beneath him. 

“Careful,” she entreated between gasps. Teeth tugged on soft flesh and nails scored skin as he licked and nibbled his way up her neck. With a grunt, he shot up to his knees and beckoned for her to flip over. She tugged her shirt off and tossed it on the ground, lifting her chin as his gaze raked over her.

“How can you grow more beautiful every day?”

“How can you be unsatisfied?” she taunted, her skin pebbling in the room, his thumb rasping around her peaked nipple. 

“You leave me hungry with each kiss.” He pushed her on her belly and knelt between her legs, hands massaging her ass as lips counted every knob of her spine, her skin tightening. She slipped a hand between the mattress and petted her own growing slick, whines growing higher as he lay across her back, tongue drawing intricate patterns along her skin, only to scrape his teeth over them. 

She was a feast lay before him and she wanted him to take her in courses. 

Kisses grew more frantic until his fingers joined hers, her neck arching backward as the apertif led to an amuse bouche. He slid downward, savoring every taste as his lips and fingers sent her up and over as he moved into coquilles, lapping and savoring each sweet salty drop. She slumped into the mattress, elation sending every cell into a downward spiral.

A sorbet, something cleansing was needed, and he took it in a massage along her shoulders, his stiff cock brushing her tight skin until she felt the heat begin to build. She was panting his name, sweat gathering along the dimples above her ass, hip grinding into the bed to find some relief. 

Until he grasped her hips and pulled her back, cock nudging her entrance and she whimpered, appalled at the need climbing out of her own skin, her own desire alien to herself. She grasped the wall, palm digging into the ridged wallpaper as she drove herself backward onto him. 

She thought she’d never get weary of that sense of fullness when he was deep within her. 

The bed shuddered underneath them as they rocked furiously together. Both hands on her hip as he thrust upwards, she bracing herself on the wall as she pushed harder. Fists punched the wall from the other side, hollering for them to shut the fuck up, while she came undone around him.

They lay together in a hazy mess, thighs sticky with the remains of the feast, while they caressed and kissed, nose bumping chin, breath still shaky in their throat. 

“I love you, Rey.” 

“I know.” 

 

Rosy light fell on her bronzed skin as he watched her breathing evenly. Kylo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and she crinkled her nose before snuggling further into the nest of pillows. He wondered if they would ever make love like a sensible couple--kissing, caressing, her body lying under his (or riding his, he hadn’t decided if he could prefer one to the other), sweet words, snuggling. Rather than this rush, this heaping and pushing and taking, almost as if bottling a dam or filling a need. 

He stepped into the shower and placed the gun on the toilet seat, eyes unfocused as he stepped into the warm needling of the cheap shower. 

Love wasn’t like anything he had before and he wasn’t sure how to proceed next. His chest would tighten in ways that resembled fear, his breathing would hitch, and he considered if his leap into death was worth it. Those promises to Snoke, his grand plans, all hardening into that chalky crumbling feeling of drying blood clinging to his skin. He scrubbed at his face, dug soap under his nails, until his fingertips were pink and raw. 

He wasn’t sure he could stand being in love. 

He heard the door open and tensed, hand going toward the gun when the curtain slid aside and Rey, sleepy eyed and lips curved in a smile, stepped in with him, head immediately going to his chest. 

“I missed you,” she mumbled and there was that restricting of breath again. Like this was his death and he was ambling around in a funeral suit. His arms went around her and he rested his chin on her forehead. His lips remained resolute and he did not speak. 

Instead, Kylo cradled her face in his hands and looked down that innocence he had enjoyed corrupting. The pull to the dark side. The forbidden fruit that she tasted and he could see the darkness in her eyes; that hunger that mirrored his own.

He kissed her. 

She only blinked and reached for the soap, rubbing circles on his chest and he smiled, a puppy dog grin of happiness. He soaped her back and shoulders, internally wincing at the reddened marks along her spine. He washed her hair and made sure to work the conditioner in correctly. 

“Giving it all up for me?” she teased as he emptied the room’s minuscule bottle into his palm. 

“My hair looks great without it,” he rumbled and she stuck her tongue out at him. They spoke of pancakes and eggs and plans for the day and he was sure he had fallen into his fantasy. 

They kissed and touched and teased and he had her up against the shower wall, one leg perched on the tub ledge, fingers plundering her, crooked against her wet walls, her mouth opened in need. She bit his shoulder to swallow the cry as his thumb rasped the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. He thrust and withdrew, thumb barely caressing, retreating and advancing, his own breathing worn as she clenched around his fingers, hot and inviting. He longed to hook a leg over his hip and seek his own pleasure, his ruddy cock pressed into Rey’s belly. He rocked his hips into her and she grabbed him then, small fist curling around him, and he hissed sharply at her soap covered fingers.

“Careful,”he warned.

“Don’t stop,” she ordered, hips rolling down on his fingers. Her eyes screwed shut, her head resting on the wall as cold water fell on them, and he retraced the necklace of purple marks on her neck with lips seeking pardon. She shuddered and whimpered as her orgasm gently rolled through her. His was a sudden gasping, mouth pressed to her hair, as the sticky mess coated them both. 

Another shower then, brief and cold, and they tumbled out, laughing and teasing. She snapped him with a towel. He mussed her hair. They shared the sole toothbrush and picked knots out of each other’s hair. As she shrugged on one of his dress shirts, her own too dirty to wear, his heart did that odd leap again. The sunlight peeking through the curtains picked up the gold and red in her hair and the gaping shirt showed the marks on her shoulders and neck. She smiled crookedly at him as she slipped on a pair of jeans. 

“What?” she asked, puzzled.

“If we never see each other again, this is how I will remember you for all time,” he told her, surprised at his hushed tone. Astonishment stole across her features and he rose to kiss that face he had come to adore just as she was framed by glittering glass bits from the windows being blown out behind her. 

Kylo shoved her to the ground, hand going for gun, ignoring the glass biting his cheeks. 

“Fuck!” he growled, realizing he left it in the bathroom, and Rey rose to one knee, gun confidently in hand. The curtain rod fell to the ground with a loud jump and they watched the parking lot in silence for a moment. He spied movement and tensed, glancing at Rey's jutting jaw and cool demeanour. 

“Cover me,” he barked as shadowy figures darted toward the room. He crawled toward the bathroom door, hurriedly zipping his jeans as he grabbed his gun. He heard Rey returning fire, a sharp bark of her gun, as the bullets blew through the cheap drywall. He curled against the bathroom as they burst through the mirror and pinged off the porcelain. 

The hotel door burst open and he heard the thunder of feet, Rey's screech. He leapt up as a man poked his gun into the bathroom. Kylo fired one shot at his head peeking around the corner and blood sprayed the beige wallpaper. The man fell to the ground and Kylo grabbed his semi-automatic, checking the safety, and sidling up to the wall. He heard a groan, skin slapping skin, and Rey grunting. He ducked around the corner to see her struggling with someone, the man’s hand gripping her hair, her nails scoring his face. Kylo aimed his Glock and watched the wavering fight, unsure of when to fire when he saw another group in black hustling toward the door. 

“Rey down!” he shouted. Rey screamed and threw herself at the man, jamming her fist in his crotch, while Kylo jumped over them to fire at the group with the semi. Bullets flew off the cars and a couple of men fell while others ducked for cover. 

“We’ve got your mother, asshole!” shouted the man as Rey thrust her knee up to his mouth. 

“What?” Kylo demanded. “Rey, off of him!” Rey aimed her gun at the man’s head as she stood unsteadily. 

“Snoke has your mother.” Then, whip fast, he sliced a knife through Rey’s calf. Her mouth dropped open in surprise and she began to crumple to the ground. The man shot up and wrapped his arm around her, knife to her throat, ripping the gun from her hand and tossing it aside. 

“And now we have her,” he breathed heavily, blood dripping down his cheek. Kylo opened his mouth when he felt a sting in his arm. He looked down to see a needle sticking in him. The man smiled, his eyes hard and cruel, as Kylo fell to the ground. 

Kylo watched behind a hazy veil, his own limbs betraying him by refusing to follow orders, as Snoke’s men stormed in and bundled Rey, her own struggle short as they realized how deeply the man had cut her. She was injected with something and he watched the fight dim in her face, despair rising fast in his heart, before blackness swept through him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kylo is obviously singing Skinny Love. (Altho I might like Birdy's cover better). 
> 
> “If we never see each other again, this is how I will remember you for all time" is stolen from Hannibal show, S3, e6, Dolce. I don't think it's a direct quote except for the last dependent clause. 
> 
> Apertif--appetizer Amuse bouche--amuse the mouth (A small savory piece before main course)   
> Coquilles--shells course (read seafood like clams)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone sticking with this. We are heading toward the end! I've got the next chapter almost done so we should finish this up soon. 
> 
> I deeply appreciate all of your comments and kudos. They make my day. You are all lovely, each and everyone of you. <3

Leia Organa Solo did not suffer fools. 

Which made her wonder why she had dedicated her life to working in the Senate. 

She considered again the option of running an NGO, like her friends the Kenobis had, as many of her current friends did--friends who wined and dined her, asking her to say a few sparkling platitudes while drinking sub par wine. But, then again, she’d still be working with Congress.

It was a conundrum, she thought, as she waited for her car to be brought around. To clear her mind, she opened her tablet and began reviewing where she stood on her to do list. Cerise was working late to make a few edits to Leia’s notes on a bill. Han was at home, resting, and Leia heard Chewie would be released in a few days. As for Ben, she had not seen any news items related to him in the past two days, not since the Chicago incident. And it worried her. 

A son’s silence always worried a mother. 

Her car, a gunmetal grey SUV, glided up and braked gently. A blonde man she didn’t quite recognize hopped out and opened the door for her. 

“Good evening madam. I’m Nick. Andrew had to take the night off. Family emergency,” he said stiffly. Leia raised a brow and Nick continued. “Tom is still driving, however.”  She nodded as she trusted Tom and climbed in, still making marks on her tablet to send to Cerise. 

Who, to Leia’s great surprise, was not upstairs as she should be but sitting in the car next to Leia. With a gun in her lap, one hand curled possessively over it. 

Leia looked over her shoulder to see the blonde discreetly pointing a revolver at her. He looked around him quickly before shooting her a narrowed gaze. He slammed the door shut and Leia tried the handle. It did not budge.  

The child safety switch must have been flipped so that it could only be opened from the outside. Panic seized her, a sharp ripple down her spine, before she inhaled once. Twice. And turned to the face her former assistant. 

Leia closed the flap of her tablet cover and studied the younger woman. 

“How long have you been working for Snoke?” she asked quietly as the car began rolling down the street. 

“You certainly don’t waste any time,” Cerise commented, flicking a long dark lock over her shoulder. “To be fair, I shouldn’t be surprised. Although, I wonder why you didn’t catch on sooner.” 

“Indeed,” Leia replied sharply. The car banked hard to the left and Leia gripped the door to keep herself from sliding into the other woman. 

“Slow down!” Cerise barked. “I don’t want to attract any attention.”

“We’ve got government plates,” the driver, Tom, grumbled and Cerise pointed the gun to the back of his head. The pain of his betrayal was eaten by the dread rising within Leia. Cerise had been a part of her staff since Ben was a baby. She had access to everything, knew them intimately. 

Making it easier for Snoke to target her. And her son. 

The snap of the safety sliding off was loud in the cabin and brought Leia’s attention back to the present. 

“And you do what I tell you to do.” 

Leia pressed herself against her door, hand sliding down toward her seat, hoping no one had removed the knife that Han insisted she keep in her car. Tension grew thicker as Tom huffed before gradually slowing the car. Cerise smirked and clicked on the safety, relaxing back in her seat. She threw a derisive look at Leia.

“We took the knife.” Leia blinked rapidly before looking out the window as the DC metro area slipped by and they entered the suburbs. 

“Where are you taking me?”

“To see Snoke. He has a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor? Why would I give that bastard anything?”

Cerise’s lips curved upward. “Because we have your son.” Triumph flashed in her eyes and Leia kicked out, foot connecting with Cerise’s knee. Leia lunged forward, scrabbling for the gun and the car swerved right, throwing her back against her seat. She kicked again, gun flying under the seats, and Cerise screeched. Nick whipped around with his gun only to be met with Leia’s fist. 

She jammed her fist in his nose followed by a hard poke in his eyes. He growled and fell back and as she reared up, Cerise tackled her, tossing her against the window. Her head hit it with a loud crack and stars burst behind her eyes. 

Cerise grabbed her hair and yanked hard before slamming her head again. But Leia anticipated and dodged, Cerise falling over as Leia pummeled the woman’s gut with her fists. Nick leapt into the fray, gun wavering as the driver shouted for him to shoot. Leia swore as she pushed Cerise away and fell to the floor just as Nick squeezed off a shot. 

The bullet blew through her window and Leia gasped as Cerise kicked her in the face. Blood spurted from her nose and she grabbed the woman’s ankle, twisting hard and thrusting it between the seat so that it stayed at the angle. Cerise howled, nails scratching Leia’s skin as  Leia lurched up to jam her fist into the woman’s kidneys. 

Nick ossed his gun aside and reached for Leia. The older woman snapped her teeth, biting down on his hand and he hollered in surprise, back handing her. He grabbed her and tossed her back in her seat, blood pouring down her face.

“Stay, bitch!” he shouted, slapping her one more time. The fight appeared to be out of her as she sagged in her seat. Cerise was sobbing over her ankle. The car braked hard at a red light and heavy pants filled the room.

Leia smiled, looped her hand out the window, and pulled the handle. Nick realized at the last moment what she planned to do as she rolled out the car, screaming and waving at the cars behind her. Relief thrummed through her in veins as she spotted a cop car a few lengths back and she continued to run, heart pounding, face burning, as the Baltimore PD flicked on the lights and pulled over to jump out and meet her. 

She immediately identified herself and he began to speak with dispatch. He opened the back door and she took a seat, her legs trembling, as sharp pricks of pain began to make herself known. The distant scream of an ambulance pierced the air and Leia shivered. 

And as the paramedic talked to her, a realization creeped up on her: she had left her tablet in the SUV. Her tablet with a tracking device. She smiled as she watched the car speed away, and thought about how terrible her wrath would look. 

Soon, she would know where Snoke was hiding. And who the hell he was.  

And, more importantly, she could save her son.

* * *

 

 

Rey woke up to a pounding headache and a throbbing leg. She blinked several times, her vision blurry, as she pushed through the fog around her mind. A deep ache settled into her calf and she groaned, rubbing her palms in her eyes.

Or at least she tried. 

The rattle of metal on metal jerked her up, lips twisting into a grimace as dizziness gripped her. She growled at the handcuff restraining her to a bed. A hospital bed with crimson sheets. She looked around, bewildered by the machines, and her leg thickly swaddled. 

“Kylo?” she called. “Kylo!” Panic rushed her as she remembered a man slicing through her calf and Kylo being shot. She tugged on her handcuffs, grunting as the metal bit into her tender skin. She thought back to the events earlier. The man with the knife and his punishing fists, who almost seemed gleefully as she hit him. Rey examined her fists to see that someone had put salve on her scabbed over knuckles and she frowned. 

That was a lot of trouble for someone they hoped to kill. 

Because the only people after them would be the First Order. No way would the FBI take her down like that. Poe and Finn would have shown up to do it personally. Not shooting them down like rabid dogs. 

She thought back to the gentle morning, to Kylo’s hands on her body, the tenderness in his eyes. He looked almost amazed as she shrugged on one of his shirts. As if he couldn’t believe it wasn’t a dream. She had never known what it was like to be the subject of awe but in that moment, her heart had shuddered, tripped and fell silent. The moment had seemed to extend forever until a surge of love flooded her and she longed to reach for him, tell him she felt the same. 

She never had the chance and now with rising dread, she wondered if she ever would. 

Rey pinched her brows together and vowed that she would make the opportunity. She studied the handcuffs, looking for a hair pin or a pen to begin to pick the lock. The door slid open and a gaunt man stumped into the room with a cane. He was over dressed for visiting a prisoner, Rey thought critically. He wore a navy blue pinstripe suit with a merlot colored tie and a waist coat.

Who wore vests anymore?

She eyed him coolly, leaning back in the pillows, and swallowing a moan as her aching head protested the movement. The old man seemed to leer at her. Behind him, a stately blonde woman glided in, her eyes half lidded. But Rey wasn’t fooled. This one was observing everything. 

She could sense sharks in the water and knew she was the chum. 

This was Snoke. He looked different from when she had seen him from afar at Quantico but it was the only thing that made sense. 

She swallowed hard as Snoke neared her, triumphant glistening in his flat blue eyes. 

“I see you’ve recovered my dear!” he boasted, as if he had done the recovering himself. He tapped a few keys on the keyboard next to her machines. A screen turned on and he scanned the numbers. 

Rey watched him curiously, one eye on the blonde room who stationed herself at the foot of the bed. 

“Yes, yes, numbers look good. How’s your head?” Snoke turned his face toward her and Rey had to suppress a shudder. She had no idea someone could have skin be the color of fish belly white and still be alive. He was a walking corpse, his cold breath on her cheek musty like the grave, and she suddenly knew that he would make sure that she would not escape alive.

She had other plans, however. 

“My head hurts,” she replied flatly and Snoke chuckled.

“It is an unfortunate side effect of the knockout drug. However, with a nice meal and some fluids, you should be right as rain.” Rey’s brow crinkled at the old expression, one her grandfather had used. Snoke practically beamed. 

“And where’s Kylo?” she demanded.

“Ah, yes, I’m so glad you asked,” Snoke replied, seemingly delighted. His cratered face seemed to smile but Rey couldn’t be sure. She didn’t understand how dessicated flesh could appear to be alive. She longed to shrink away from him but forced herself to remain where she was. 

“Where is he?” 

“He’s indisposed, shall we say, hmm?”

“I’d rather not say. I’d rather know,” Rey practically snarled. Snoke crowed happily and clapped his hands. 

“Excellent! I’m so pleased to hear you say that.” Rey stared at him, gobsmacked. 

He is completely insane, she thought, throwing a puzzled glance at the other woman. She seemed unfazed, studying her nails and leaning against the wall.  Rey wondered if this meant this was some sort of show for her rather than a sign of insanity. 

“Now, little Kenobi, I imagine you are quite wore out from your journey. Phasma here will help you prepare for dinner. Shall we say six? Gives you some time to clean up.”

“Dinner in a hospital gown?” Rey sneered and Snoke chuckled. 

“No worries, my sweetling. I have arranged it all. Come to the parlor at five thirty for cocktails and I’ll let you in a few secrets.” He winked as he spoke and Rey could not suppress the shudder that ran down her spine. 

“Will Kylo be there?”

Snoke grinned widely. “He will definitely be the center of the dinner.” And with a ribald grin, he strolled out of the room, leaving Rey with Phasma. She turned to look at the other woman.  As she opened her mouth to speak, a hair raising scream tore through the room and her heart stuttered. 

It was Kylo. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finally meets Snoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Sansacat who has been here since the beginning. She has been amazing, she has been a font of knowledge and wisdom and compassion and grace. She understands these characters innately and their motivations. She asks insightful questions and she's not afraid to rein me in when I get too wild (there was a whole organ transplant story tha we didn't get to sadly. But also it would not have worked!) She's the best. Thank you, sweet one. 
> 
> 2 more chapters to go! Ok maybe three! Enjoy!

Phasma politely leaned on the doorway of the bathroom while Rey showered, her face casual but her eyes watchful. Rey could make out the bulge of a pistol in the blonde woman’s jacket. Probably something small, a Ruger 9mm, and probably carrying full jacket bullets. Rey felt a modicum of respect for the woman and wondered when she started to be able to feel two disparate sentiments at once. 

It must have been in that hotel room in what seemed eons ago when she was kissing Ben Solo and realized moments later he was Kylo Ren. 

So many hotel rooms, she thought ruefully, and wondered not for the first time what a weekend, just the two of them, at his home would have been like. The little fantasy sustained her as she gingerly washed herself. She studied the stitches someone had performed on the cut on her leg as Phasma helped ensure it was wrapped in plastic. Phasma had even provided a small chair for Rey to sit on in the tiny stall should she need it. 

Rey moved stiffly, relying on a crutch, and Phasma helped her to get dressed. She had provided a simple tea dress in a flattering plum color. It had short capped sleeves and it was tucked in at her waist, falling to her calves. And as far as she could tell, it was real silk. 

“I don’t think I could wear heels,” she confessed to the taller woman. Phasma offered her a small smile and held up a pair of taupe flats. 

“I didn’t think so either. You shouldn’t really be walking.”

“How long was I out?”

“You were brought here three days ago,” Phasma answered curtly and Rey inhaled sharply. She had imagined maybe a day _ but three? _ And to not know what was happening with Kylo in all that time? Her heart lurched and she lay a palm on her breast. Pity seemed to leak into Phasma’s eyes. 

“You really care for that lunker, don’t you?”

“Haven’t you ever loved someone?” Rey replied distantly. Phasma shrugged.

“Not really.”

“That’s unfortunate. You seem like a lovely woman. Well, besides the whole holding me hostage thing.”  

“We all must earn our paychecks,” Phasma said, gesturing for Rey to get up. Rey grabbed her crutch and began hobbling after the woman who paused at the door. 

“Do you want a ride or can you walk?” Rey lifted her chin. 

“I’ll walk.” A small smile appeared for a nanosecond on Phasma’s face before she nodded. Rey felt as if she won a small victory and continued to hobble after her down a small grey hallway. All of the doors were open and she took note of the empty beds and the quiet whir and clicks of medical machinery. 

Snoke had his own private hospital. 

Rey wondered if it were for FO care or for something far more sinister. Something like torture, something that could explain the chilling scream she had heard earlier. Whoever had stitched her up seemed as if they did a good job. Her leg did ache but the stitches were tight and clean. 

“Does the FO require medical personnel for some reason?” she asked, throwing her question wide. Her answer was a soft snort and derisive look tossed over Phasma’s shoulder. 

“For such a clever girl, you haven’t figured that out yet? That’s disappointing.” She paused at the end of the hallway, waiting for Rey to catch up, and cracked her knuckles. Rey made a face at the popping noise and a true smile bloomed on Phasma’s face. 

“Why do you work for him?” Rey inquired as she neared her. She paused to rest, leaning on the wall as a small throb began deep inside her calf in tune with her racing heart. 

“I already told you.”

“Money can’t be a motivator. Not for something like this.”

“The only people who say that are people who’ve never had to worry about their next meal.”

“And you won’t, that’s for sure,” Rey shot back. “The federal pen always gives three squares.”

“If you call that food.”

Rey ran a critical gaze over the woman clad in a neat dark grey suit and a deep v neck blazer with a hint of lace peeking out. 

“You know once he has taken all of you, there won’t be a reason to keep you.” Rey kept her voice even and watched Phasma’s cheek twitch. The older woman ran her tongue along her teeth before clicking loudly.

“The only neck you should be worrying about is your own.” She grabbed Rey by the arm and propelled her down the corridor, stopping once at metal doors at the end of the hallway. She punched some numbers into a keypad by the door, too quick for Rey to get more than a vague sense of the code. 

The doors swung open with a whoosh and Phasma relaxed her grip as they moved through a short covered walkway toward a large brickhouse. Rey quickly surveyed her surroundings--beech, birch, and oak, all in states of semi bloom, a pale green smear on the horizon. The ground was still soggy as if it had rained recently and the property was vast. She spied a helipad and terraced gardens before Phasma jerked open a door and pushed her inside. 

Rey stumbled on the doorway, catching herself.

“Can you slow down?” she demanded. Phasma’s lips tightened, her eyes hard and unforgiving. She folded her arms across her chest as Rey righted herself, smoothing her skirt down. 

“I know what you’re doing,” Phasma all but snarled. 

“Yes, I imagine you do.”

“It’s not working.”

“Of course not,” Rey agreed, pasting on a bright smile. “But that’s not reason to be discourteous.”

Phasma chuffed softly. “That’s something Snoke would say.” The smile stayed frozen on Rey’s face as she searched Phasma for a hint of malice. The older woman seemed thoughtful instead, the harshness gone from her features. She gestured in front of her and Rey began to walk, relying on her crutch more as the throbbing began to intensify in her calf. They were in the main house now, Rey assumed, judging by the dark paneled wooden floors with thick luxuriously designed runners. The walls were silk brocaded in a deep red and there were various paintings and photos along the walls. French doors to the left of her led out onto the balconies and down into the gardens. 

“How did you find us, anyways? We had taken the bugs out of the car.”

Phasma shot her an amused glance and then shrugged as if the answer were inconsequential. Rey did not think that boded well for her odds of survival. 

“We put bugs inside the passenger benches in all of the four doors,” Phasma answered. Rey chuckled darkly and Phasma nodded. “Agreed. The best laid plans…”

“Obviously only certain people knew this.”

“It was implemented when Kylo was imprisoned.” Rey tilted her head at this interesting piece of information. She opened her mouth to ask another question when she froze, eyes riveted by a photo on the walls. 

It was her mother and father with Leia Organa. A little boy stood behind Leia, ears jutting out from under an unruly mop of hair. Her mother’s belly was nicely rounded and Rey recognized the background as her grandfather’s estate in Devon. He had died when she was a little girl but she had spent many happy years playing in the countryside there. She could see him now, his short neat beard, sitting in a chair and chatting with another older man. 

Snoke. 

Her heart slammed to a halt and the room narrowed until it was only that picture filling up her vision. Her mother, a beauty with her hair artfully coiled around her head. Her father grinning widely, his hand on her mother’s belly. Leia seated beside them, half twisted to retrieve Ben, hiding in the shadows. The pipe in her grandfather’s mouth, the bloody thing that killed him, and the relaxed look on his face as he looked at Snoke. 

The comfort. The ease. 

It seemed so foreign now. 

And with her next breath, Rey dizzily realized that she was all wrong about Snoke. This wasn’t a man ruled by greed and short term goals only. He was playing twelfth level chess while they were all playing checkers. Kylo wasn’t some sort of accidental acquisition. He had been planned from the get-go. Rey saw the appraising look on Snoke’s face as he looked over at Ben Solo. 

Kyle LaRocca had been no accident. She imagined it just took a small bribe to change the room assignment for freshman. He, his brother--the entire family--has been used to maneuver Ben onto his path. Ben must have veered off it somewhat if Snoke had thrown LaRocca back in his life. 

And herself, Rey thought with a shudder. Her benefactors throughout her life. Kylo had told her that Leia had been the one paying for her school. But she imagined that Snoke was the other one. The mysterious one that always made sure her lunch account was full or that she had received a small stipend. The one who had offered a full scholarship for her to attend John Jay for her degrees. 

She wondered how much of Kylo’s seduction had been planned.

She wondered if Snoke had planned this all along and how many of her discoveries were mere fabrications, woven by him, to ensnare her. 

She couldn’t see the endgame now and fear wrapped its cold hands around her heart, its beat erratic, as she realized that death wasn’t the end. Snoke wouldn’t just kill them. They were assets. He had years and hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up into them. 

They were more. Which meant whatever would happen tonight would be terrifying. He could punish them. Defile them. Cripple them and restore them, if he were Alistair Smith, and do it again. Until he achieved whatever he had planned for them. 

“Come along now,” Phasma ordered, not ungently. She placed a warm hand on Rey’s back and guided her away from the photo and down the hall. Rey shrank into herself, following various trains of thought at once, and failed to notice the twists and turns they took until they arrived in a dining room. 

Its rich wood paneled walls were covered in tastefully classic pieces of art. Rey was sure she spied a legitimate Renoir. A large classical fireplace sat at one end with a fire crackling merrily in it, at odds with the somber mood. A mahogany table dominated the space with a jade and gold table runner. At one end sat Snoke, sipping a tequila gimlet. At the other end was the redhead, Hux, glowering at her while toying with a half empty glass of red wine. And in the center was a fantastical piece with a roast suckling pig, an apple in its mouth.

Rey felt sourness churning her stomach and she found herself gripping Phasma’s hand. 

She was surprised by Phasma squeezing it once before guiding her toward her seat between Snoke and Hux. 

“You missed cocktail hour,” Snoke groused. “Although I supposed with how you and Kylo have been cavorting about, our little teeny weenie appetizers would be less appealing.” Rey blanched at his boldness  and the old man leered at her. She slipped into her seat, crutch falling to the ground, as she digested Snoke’s words. 

“That’s hardly appropriate,” Phasma rebuked quietly. A servant hurried over and poured her a measure of red wine. A glass was placed in front of Rey and without thinking, she downed the whole thing. Snoke chuckled appreciatively. 

“That’s the spirit,” he marveled and Rey bit back a snarl.

“How did you know my parents?” Snoke’s brows shot up and his small laugh was bitter and dry, like fall leaves rubbing together. 

“Saw the picture did you? Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“It’s why I asked!” she snapped and Snoke gestured toward her while looking at Hux.

“She’s got spirit.”

“I know,” Hux replied darkly. Rey could see no indication of their fight last week. He narrowed his eyes, catching her gaze, and she looked hurriedly away. 

“I don’t know if I shall tell you,” Snoke said gleefully, like a child playing with an ant using a magnifying glass on a sunny day. Rey refused to wince. Snoke pouted and Rey heard Phasma sigh slightly. She wondered if her words earlier made any impact on the woman. 

“I used to be a part of the Empire, you know?” Snoke told her grandly, settling back into his chair. Rey darted a look at Phasma, swirling her wine in her glass, her face a bored mask. “I was privy to watch and to learn from Palpatine and Anakin. He was really nothing more than a glorified attack dog, you know? I don’t understand why Luke took such pride in him. Leia certainly didn’t. Perhaps she understood what he was really like.” Despite herself, Rey was curious as to what Darth Vader was truly like to have seen during his height of power. Snoke sensed her curiosity and offered her a grin, a Jack o lantern smile that revealed only maggots behind it. Rey shivered, a tendril of darkness uncurling within in her in response to the ghastly grin. A niggling need to destroy it. 

“So you decided to prove that you were better than the Emperor, better than Darth Vader, who let compassion ruin him. And you thought the way to do this was to destroy Vader’s family? But it wasn’t easy was it? Leia is insulated and Han Solo isn’t an idiot. And Luke’s interests are more academic.” Snoke’s face crumpled for a second before he spluttered with rage and stumped his cane on the floor. 

“Bring in our special guest!” Spit flew from his mouth as he shouted at a staff member by a door. 

Hux chuckled before biting it off, cheeks reddening. 

“Are you sure you can stand the sight of him?” Snoke leered darkly and a smattering of fear must have shown on Rey’s face as Snoke let out a triumphant crow. The double doors at one corner of the room opened and she gasped. 

Kylo was strapped to a hand cart, being pushed in by another staff member. They had dressed him in a simple charcoal colored suit with a burgundy shirt and a paisley tie. A jagged black line ran down his face, from under his right eye to under his jaw. Some sort of scar, she thought. She saw that his fingertips were taped. And his hair had been shorn short, the dark strands an inch about his collar. Her mouth dropped open and she twisted in her chair, half rising to attack Snoke, she wasn’t sure. An iron grip clamped around her wrist and she looked down to see Phasma holding her tightly.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Phasma murmured and Rey knew in that instance that Phasma was wavering.  Rey hesitated and looked up to Kylo who was wheeled across from her. He snorted at the pig on the table.

“Pig for the cop. Clever. That idea yours, Hux?” The derision was thick in his tone and the worry flushed out of her. She saw the pain in his face as he spoke, his tongue a little heavier and slower than usual, but if he was able to fling insults, then he was able to fight. He would survive. Kylo shot a contemptuous look at Hux who sniggered at the other man. Rey returned to her seat and took a long drag of wine. 

“Still find him attractive, darling?” Snoke asked. 

“Of course.”

Snoke sighed, disappointed. “There is no accounting for taste.”

Rey tipped her head and addressed her question to Snoke even as she looked at Kylo: “And I find it confusing that you care about my attraction to Kylo given how you sent him to seduce me and to determine how I could be bought for the First Order. For you.”

Snoke hmphed. “Good point. See, Hux? She’s not as stupid as you think she is.” Hux merely raised his glass for more wine and Rey refused to take the bait. If they fought amongst each other, then they were distracted from his true intent. 

She could see clearly now. 

Back to basics--of each simple thing, Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man you seek?

She found her man. He was petty and conniving and greedy. He saw himself as a rightful heir to an Empire and he stayed that way by finding each person’s weakness and exploiting it. There was no doubt as to his brilliance. But he made tactical errors, he made many assumptions, and he pushed people until they broke.

Rey had no qualms about using those people until she broke him. 

And she would succeed. 

“Well as lovely as this is,” Kylo drawled. “I would much prefer to know what your plan is.” 

“I bet you would,” Hux chimed in snidely. 

“It gives us something to talk about. Right now, dinner is less exciting than torture.”

“Perhaps you just like that sort of thing. Rey darling? Does he like that sort of thing?” Hux sniped.

“Don’t you know?” Rey innocently asked, batting her lashes. “You two fight like ex-lovers and he does seem your type.” Phasma spit out her wine, a snort escaping her, eyes wide, as she struggled with the laugh burbling out of her. Kylo cracked a grin at Rey, followed by a quick wink, and she relaxed. 

They were on the same page. 

Rey turned and leveled an assessing gaze at Snoke. “And you. You’re obsessed with Kylo Ren. Ben Solo means something to you. Even more if you make him in your image. What, you didn’t have a mother to tuck you in at night or something?” 

Snoke burst into laughter, a cringing sound, of wheezing bellows interspersed with racking coughs. 

Rey plowed forward: “And what a terrible thing it must be for you. To love someone and to have them so utterly reject you.” Snoke stopped his laughing, wiping the spittle out of the corners of his mouth, and stuffing his handkerchief in his pocket.

“What a delight you are,” he wheezed. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you.” He waved his hand idly and several staff members surged forward. They bore bowls and a steaming tureen from which they ladled a pale soup with a slight tang of onion. Rey noticed the way the server would stop and turn, an odd rhythm to his motions. 

“First course is potage, a simple potato and truffle soup,” a server announced a bit robotically as he went around the table. 

“Breaking me?” Rey queried, leaning back as the server placed a delicate bowl in front of her and poured in a small measure of soup. 

“Of course,” Snoke purred. “I’ve just been playing with Kylo. Teaching him he shouldn’t be going about, taking apprentices under his wing. My plan for bringing you here is much more simple.” Rey and Kylo exchanged confused looks and she heard Phasma sip her soup, unconcerned. Irritation itched up Rey’s spine and she saw a twitch in Kylo’s cheek. 

“You don’t really do simple,” Kylo grumbled and Snoke chortled. 

“Too true, my son. But this, this is a gift for you. This beautiful woman. She could be yours in every way--and not just the ways you have been taking her, you naughty boy.” Kylo choked at the words and Rey dropped her spoon, a loud clatter, as her stomach churned in disgust.

“And she could be my right hand woman and the key to our empire.” Phasma shot up at Snoke’s comment and Rey saw her knuckles whiten on her soup spoon. Training her replacement, Rey thought sadly, and saw the darkness creep into Phasma’s eyes. 

“She’s not exactly biddable,” Kylo replied and Rey glowered. Kylo shrugged, barely able to move from the tight straps. A server moved to stand beside him and spoon soup in his mouth. Rey looked away. 

“You can’t just gift a person,” she snarled. And Snoke chuckled.

“More like a vessel. See, Rey, I’ve discovered a way to meld a human brain with a bionic programmable one. I’ve been trying them out on the servant here, Riley. The one who has been pouring soup. See how jerky his movements are? It’s not perfect you see, but I am working on it. For you. For Kylo. So that you could have a world without decisions, without that struggle between light and dark. And you struggle don’t you, Rey? I saw that glorious darkness in you that night between you and Matthew Brown.” He looked at Rey, his gaze rapt, his voice lifting as if in awe. Rey repressed a shudder. 

“And your struggle afterwards. But I will take that all away. You will know peace. And Kylo will know pure unadulterated love. Am I not beneficent, my children?” He spread his hands, gums bright pink as he smiled, as if expecting adoration. 

And in that moment, Rey picked up her dinner knife and threw it at his face. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is taken by Snoke to follow through on his nefarious plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been over a month! Several things to say!   
> 1) Thank you for your patience. I spent Nov doing NaNoWriMo on an original which is like total crap.   
> 2) Thank you to all of my readers who have left kudos and a special thank you to all of the commenters. And extra love to everyone who has been here since the beginning. I love you all so much.   
> 3) My laptop died a week ago. The tech people just now were like wellllll its done. no good. On the bright side it was Cyber Monday week and I've got a new chromebook on the way. But I am trying to get this done before the 15th. The story is done in my head, it's just writing it. 
> 
> Again thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Unbeta'd!

Snoke twisted to the side, the knife flying past him to hit the wall with a thunk. Rey cursed and grabbed the fork, only to be forcefully yanked from her chair, Phasma’s arm around her shoulders. Rey struggled with Phasma’s iron grip, feet cycling in the air as she jerked backward. 

“I’m taller and I weigh more than you and you’re injured. What do you honestly think you can do?” Phasma whispered harshly. In that same moment, Hux stood up and marched from his seat, freeing a gun from his jacket. He clicked off the safety and pointed it at Kylo’s head. 

“Stop,” he ordered. Rey froze and Snoke stood up, leaning on his cane, satisfaction warring with anger on his twisted features. 

“Finally, Phasma you prove some worth to me. Despite being a tad bit late,” Snoke commented, flicking a dismissive glance over the blonde woman. Rey heard Phasma inhale sharply at his biting words. Snoke stumped toward Rey still wiggling in Phasma’s tight arms. Phasma adjusted her grip to squeeze Rey’s throat and Rey froze. Snoke sneered at her, triumphant in his watery eyes. 

“You are fortunate that I do not hold this against you. Your darkness, so rich.” He lifted his hand to trace the knuckle of his forefinger down her cheek. Rey jerked away and Snoke chuckled. He nodded at Phasma. 

“Take her to the barn. Bring Kylo. I want to see how much he will appreciate my gift.” He cocked his head toward the door and shuffled out, leaning on his cane. Rey struggled for a moment before Phasma tightened her grip on Rey’s throat. 

“Don’t,” she hissed in Rey’s ear. “You’ll need all your wits about you. Don’t make me sedate you.” Rey gazed up at Phasma through her lashes and gave an almost invisible nod, a bare movement of her chin, a thin thread of hope fluttering in her chest. She looked over at Kylo who flicked his eyes toward Hux’s gun and then toward the ground. She understood that to mean that he would focus on taking Hux’s gun away from him. Somehow. Allowing herself to trust him, Rey swallowed thickly before allowing Phasma to yank her out of the dining room, feet scraping along the ground, until they arrived at a golf cart. 

The absurdity of it hit Rey like a two ton truck and she couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling out of her throat. Hux backhanded her and the taste of copper filled her mouth. 

“I’ve had enough of you,” he growled. And grinning, Rey leaned into Phasma, lashing out with her feet. His gun went flying. Kylo rocked himself forward, hands flying to Hux’s throat to clench tightly. Phasma jerked Rey away and Snoke watched dispassionately as Kylo collapsed on top of Hux, thumbs digging into his trachea. Hux tried to push him off but Kylo finagled his knee between the straps tying him to the handcart. He pressed it into Hux’s crotch, the man’s eyes bugging as he tried to pry off the fingers on his throat.  

His breath came in harsh short gasps and his nails scored Kylo’s hand. Sweat dripped off Kylo’s nose as he pressed down on Hux’s throat. Hux flailed beneath him, battering at Kylo’s head, the hits growing more ragged with each second. Rey watched in horror as his eyes slid shut while birds chirped overhead and Snoke sighed impatiently. 

Finally Hux fell silent, his skin a mottled purple, and Snoke gestured for someone to help Kylo off the ground. A servant darted forward to grasp the handcart and yank it up, Kylo half falling out. 

“You don’t need to keep me tied like this,” Kylo snarled at Snoke. Snoke raised one disdainful brow, looking from Hux’s supine form back to Kylo.

“You just tried to kill my trusted general.”

“Tried to?” Rey asked incredulously. 

“He’s not dead, just unconscious,” Kylo answered dismissively. Snoke smirked.

“You always were the deadliest one in my arsenal. Too bad you failed at the job.”

“Did I?” Kylo asked. With his free hands he fished into a pocket and pulled out a small six shooter, a tiny derringer. “Your men should really pay more attention to their weapons.” He fired two shots in Hux’s forehead. The man jerked on the ground, twice, his mouth falling slack, blood slowly spreading behind his forehead. 

Rey watched as Snoke smiled, pride on every feature, and she recoiled. She felt Phasma stiffening and her arms went lax around her. But Rey made no move to flee. She had to see this through. She waited for Kylo to raise the gun at Snoke, to bring down the monster. Instead he aimed the gun at Rey and her stomach sank.

“Get in the cart.”    
“What?” she gasped. Snoke let out a gleeful cackle. 

“Did you figure it out, my boy? It’s either your girl or your mother. Which one do you want to see whole?” He ran an assessing gaze over Rey and she trembled. Two guards walked over to flank her, gloved hands tightening on their night sticks. 

“Let’s just finish this,” Kylo said grimly. Phasma prodded Rey to get inside the vehicle  and Rey looked up to see a blank look on the other woman’s face. They climbed into their golf cart with Kylo joining Snoke in the front. The two guards hopped on the back and Snoke started the cart. Rey was surprised that an engine purred underneath them and the cart kicked her back as it rolled forward. 

“How did you know about your mother?” Snoke asked as they whirred down the path. 

“I saw a news clip about a murder attempt on her while I was waiting for your grand reveal. All part of your plan, I’m sure,” Kylo replied. Rey stared at him, dazed. She thought back to that morning in the hotel room, at his soft words, tender hands, at the way in which he worshiped her, devoted himself to her. The gentleness in his eyes before all broke loose. 

And wondered how much of it was real. 

Phasma squeezed her hand. Rey looked over at the older woman whose face was lined and troubled. It was all crashing around them too quickly and Rey remembered the robotic server in the dining room. That was her future. She couldn’t let it be. 

Rey jerked to the side, planning on rolling out of the cart. But one of the guards saw her movement and his night stick shot out along the cart, stunning her with a slap to her shoulder. The other guard looped an arm around her and she felt a knife digging into her throat. 

“Don’t bother,” the guard sneered. And Rey hiccuped once, fear digging its nails into her spine, as they rolled up to a picturesque red and white barn. 

The guards roughly handled her, hands tight around her arms, gun to her head, as she followed Kylo and Snoke into the barn, past a musty smelling set of stalls, and to a secret elevator that led to something in the basement that was far worse. As they descended into the concrete pit framed by bright fluorescents, the guards let her go. She could not escape now. 

Rey took in the medical equipment, the chair with the straps, the saw blade and the smell of rotting corpses hit her, all putrid and raw and smelling like rank meat. She swallowed hard as vomit climbed up her throat and glanced around the room, forcing herself to remain clinical. 

Snoke marched forward, his stick clicking each time it tapped the grey floor. Kylo flanked him with Rey and Phasma behind him and the guards bringing up the rear. There were two medical assistants present, both clad in mint green scrubs. One was washing her hands as if this were routine and Rey feared that to be true. 

Without thinking, Rey dropped to her knee, elbow thrusting up to catch one guard in the gut. He stumbled back and she twisted, neatly pulling his nightstick out of his belt. The other guard raised his gun but Rey was faster, pivoting on her knees on the smooth floor to bring the stick down hard onto his kneecap. He hollered and she carved upward, smacking his hand away. 

The other guard lunged for her, knife in hand. She ducked underneath him and rose from behind to smash the stick into his skull. He skidded forward and she grabbed the stick by both hands to jab it into his kidneys. Rey kicked at his knees bringing him to the ground, flailing backward as the other guard leapt toward her. He collided into her and they skidded to the floor. 

She lashed up with the stick, catching him by the throat. He fell back, gurgling. The other guard rolled toward her, knife in hand, and she knocked it aside. The knife clattered to the floor and Rey swept it up to thrust it into his inner thigh.  He jerked it out and blood squirted fast and thick. 

“You’re not going to make it,” she said savagely just as something hard came down onto her head and she blacked out. 

  
  
  


Rey blinked, a harsh buzzing noise grinding in her skull. She blinked again, her vision blurry as she tried to sit up. She felt the squeeze of restraints and screamed once, a screech that echoed off the walls. The nurse stopped the buzzing of the skull saw. 

“The equipment is ready, Dr. Smith.” 

Snoke was watching her dispassionately. He had put a green medical gown over his suit while she was unconscious. 

“You’re fortunate you didn’t give her a concussion,” he snapped at one of the guards. He glowered at Kylo in handcuffs to the side, Phasma guarding him. He cast a suffering glance at Rey. 

“Kylo?” Rey asked weakly. Kylo shrugged. He had been cuffed to pole in the room, his arms tight behind him. Phasma would not meet Rey’s gaze. The other guard, the one Rey had stabbed, was a dark form on the concrete. Snoke followed the direction of Rey’s wandering eyes and smirked. 

“Oh yes, you killed Boyle. Shouldn’t have pulled that knife off. Now it will take forever to get the blood out of the concrete. Again.”

“What kind of monster are you?” Rey gasped. Snoke shrugged. 

“I think the correct term is psychopath, don’t you? Monster seems so dramatic.”

“And you don’t have the flair for it?” Rey scoffed and Snoke chuckled, pleased. “Although, in your case, you’re a vampire. A parasite. You feed off the pain of others.”  Snoke leered at her as Rey battered him with her words, panic worming its way through her insides. She could see the robotic brain next to Snoke, secure in a clear glass box, and the coming surgery. Next to her, the nurses waited patiently. 

“People have many uses in this world, Agent Kenobi. Kylo’s use was to bring his mother to me, to engineer her assistance or her fall, and to help net you. His rivalry with Hux has netted me the benefit of no longer having to worry about how to dispatch him. Your use will be in keeping Kylo with me. I’ve not done with him. Hux had no use, no goal in life until I found him. I gave him hope and purpose. Just like I’m giving you. Just as I will give Leia and Phasma.”  A soft gasp came from the corner and Snoke looked over his shoulder at the woman. 

“Oh yes, Gwen, I’m sorry to say but now that I have Kenobi and Kylo back, I’m not sure what your use will be. Rey will easily be able to do your job and without all the morality since I will be stripping her of that. Well,” and he grinned toothily at Kylo, “what Kylo hadn’t already helped her lose. Such a clever boy.” Kylo’s shoulder twitched at that comment and Rey frowned. What was the other man doing in this moment? Why was he remaining silent?

Phasma regarded Snoke with icy calm, a glacial smile across her pale features. 

“I see,” was all she said. 

“You should remember my dear. Alliances are only useful until they are not.” 

“Of course,” Phasma murmured, bowing gracefully into the shadows. Snoke turned his penetrating gaze back to Rey and reached for the skull saw.

“And now, Miss Kenobi, it’s time to bring the dog to heel.” He clicked the saw on, the buzzing ratcheting higher and Rey screamed, writhing against the tight restraints. One of the nurses reached for a bottle and syringe as the saw neared Rey’s face. Her feet flailed and her hands tore at her skin as she angled away from him.

“No! Don’t!” she pleaded at the ghastly face. Snoke only smiled grimly and reached for his face mask, a red flower blooming across his chest. He paused and looked down at it, at the growing blotch before turning around him. The saw lowered in his hand to graze Rey’s skin and she screamed as it sliced through her arm. 

Phasma stared at Snoke, gun in her hand before she raised it to shoot the two nurses. Both fell to the ground, one groaning as the bullet tore through her shoulder. 

“This is a worthless gun,” she complained to Kylo as he shrugged away from the pole, handcuffs falling from his wrist to tumble to the ground. He bared his teeth at the rushing guard and ran to meet him, throwing all of his weight into his punch. 

The guard stumbled back and Snoke slumped in his seat, saw revving near Rey’s thigh. She squirmed away and Phasma strode quickly toward her as Kylo rammed his fist repeatedly into the guard’s face. The guard fell to the floor and Kylo followed, blood flying as he beat the man. 

Phasma pushed Snoke off Rey and turned off the saw. 

“I am so tired of him,” she complained, undoing the straps. Blood gushed from Rey’s arm and Phasma handed her a pack of gauze to press to the wound as she turned toward Snoke crawling away leaving a red streak on the floor. 

“Phasma, dear,” he wheezed. “We can renegotiate.” At that moment, an alarm began to blare, red lights spinning frantically from above. Rey looked about, confused, searching for a weapon and finding a scalpel on teh surgery table next to her. 

Kylo swore and raced over to a bank of computers along the wall. He began to hit a few keys and banged the desktop. 

“I’ve been locked out!” he shouted. Phasma sighed and handed the gun to Rey before hurrying over. Rey aimed the gun at Snoke who leered at her. His hand was coated with his own blood as he pressed it against his chest, trying to slow the tide. Rey aimed the gun at him, her aim still shaky, and thought about firing two shots into his brain. It would end him; it would end the whole damn thing.

But then she looked over at Phasma tapping away on the keyboard. Monitors lit up to reveal police cars careening toward the main house. Leia Organa stepped from one, her arm in a sling, her head held high. Poe Dameron followed closely behind her and tactical team surrounded the house. 

“It’s time to think about renegotiating,” Snoke rasped. Rey saw the pride on Kylo’s face and thought about the double life he led. She thought about her parents, the terror they must have felt before the car slammed into them, windshield wipers flashing rapidly, the crunch of metal, the horror in their last thoughts. Her own despondence and sense of loss for years. All at the hand of one man who thought he had the right to play God. 

She looked at the gun and back at Snoke. Snoke’s eyes gleamed wetly. 

“People think God to be benevolent,” he rasped, as if seeing her thoughts play on her face. Rey shuddered. She heard Kylo and Phasma talking urgently. 

“I need to erase all mentions of me!” Phasma nearly shouted. 

“And I need evidence for my mother!” Kylo thundered back. Rey turned away from their drama. Whatever happening there was not her concern. 

_ “I  _ _ collect church collapses, recreationally. Did you see the recent one in Sicily? Marvelous! The facade fell on sixty-five grandmothers at a special mass. Was that evil? If so, who did it? If he's up there, he just loves it, Agent Kenobi. Typhoid and swans - it all comes from the same place.” _

“And you think you have the right to meddle? You took so much from me,” Rey stated hoarsely. Snoke smiled, half of his face refusing to respond. It was a nightmare grin, one born of triumph and greed and hunger.

“I have as every right as God,” he replied. Rey considered his words. She heard Kylo pointing out that the FBI would soon head to the barn. She saw Phasma collecting items, hurrying toward a door. Phasma looked back at them, hesitating. 

“You’re a fool, Kylo,” she sneered. Kylo shrugged and continued to type on a screen. He stuck a flash drive into a port and Rey watched as he began to move files on it. She returned her gaze to Phasma, whose own face softened. 

“Take care, Rey,” Phasma said before turning and fleeing. 

“Where is she going?” Rey asked stupidly.

“Doing what she always does,” Kylo replied grimly. “Only thinking for herself.” Feeling a flash of momentary gratitude toward the woman who could have harmed Rey in the dining room, who could have let Snoke slice her up, Rey shrugged. Phasma would either live a life off luxury off her gains from the First Order or she would turn up again. There was always time for that catch.

But no time for this one. 

Rey let the gun clatter to the floor. Kylo looked up as Rey slid off the bed, her legs unsure beneath her. She began to stalk toward Snoke, light flashing off the scalpel in her hand. 

“Rey?” Kylo asked uncertainly. Snoke tried crawling away, breath rasping in his chest, a liquid gurgle at the end informing Rey that his death was almost near. She slashed down once, scalpel slicing through skin and muscle, a slice in his leg mirroring her own stitched up calf. Snoke tried to howl but he couldn’t, voice dying in his throat, as he coughed, flecks of blood spraying the concrete. 

Rey knelt beside him. 

“And what shall you do, Agent Kenobi?” Snoke demanded, eyes burning brightly. Rey offered a flat smile. 

“I shall show you what my darkness truly looks like,” she replied. And then she brought the scalpel down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taken from Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal to Clarice. Of course its also in the Tv show. Boyle is the guard in *that scene* in Silence. 
> 
> For those of you who have seen SOTL, you will know how this ends for Snoke. And perhaps how Kylo will ..... :D 
> 
> 2 more chapters! I promise steaminess to make up for all of this violence.


	23. Chapter 23

The next moments moved like heartbeats for Rey. 

 

Her blood ran thick in her ears. 

 

Snoke’s carcass laid out before her, skin flayed from muscles, bone peeking through deep slashes. Her arms crimson and unfamiliar to her. Kylo watching with those flat black eyes, even as he helped her scrub her hands clean. The monitors showing the FBI approaching the barn and time running out until the cops swarmed the barn. 

The room smelled like death and despair and Rey’s guts churned. 

“We should go,” he whispered, as she watched the police cars bounce over hills as they neared them.

“And what? Run some more? Until what Kylo? I’m tired of running.” Kylo looked his lips and his gaze darted between her and the bank of monitors.She stepped toward him and reached up, cradling his face in her hands. 

“I love you. And I always will.”

“But?” Kylo asked, his voice wavering. 

“I can’t be who I’m not. And I’m Agent Kenobi.” Kylo smiled sadly and rubbed his nose against hers, dropping a sweet kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“I don’t want to see you from behind bars,” he whispered. Rey held up the scalpel and pressed it to his throat.

“You won’t,” she promised, a dark gleam in her eyes. And she began to work, knife slicing through skin, to bring her vision to life. 

 

Her heartbeat thudded in her skin, a tight pulse in her neck. 

 

“REY!!!!” A familiar voice bellowed as the elevator was forced open. Rey looked up from where she sat in a pool of blood and blinked against the bright light. Finn stared down at her, desperation carving thick lines on his young face. 

“Get it working!” he shouted at someone and she shivered, blood tacky on her arms and legs. 

“Finn,” she called weakly. “We need an ambulance!” 

“I’m calling them peanut!” he cried as the elevator jerked to life. The platform rose from the floor and creaked upward. Finn and another FBI agent used a pry bar to keep the elevator doors open until the platform arrived and the doors chimed, pry bar clattering to their feet. Finn jumped on the platform, a paramedic pushing his way through to join him, and Rey watched distantly as they rode down. Beside her, the guard’s chest rose and fell unevenly, a blood bubble rising from his lips to pop. 

“Help him,” she pleaded. “I did what he could but…” she looked at his wrecked face before turning away. Finn raced toward her, paramedic hot on his heels. He crushed her in his arms even as Poe yelled down from the shaft above. 

“Watch the evidence!”

“Fuck the evidence,” Finn said, as he bundled her in a blanket. “You! Help her!” The paramedic looked up, blood draining from his face, as he stared down at the guard’s ruined body. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she protested. “It’s just a cut, I’ll be fine. Please! He tried to save my life.” 

The paramedic nodded and knelt by the man, speaking rapidly into a microphone. Finn looked around, a deep rumbling in his chest, as he surveyed the room. 

“I couldn’t stop them,” Rey whispered into his chest. “I couldn’t stop Kylo from escaping.”

“It doesn't matter. You’re home how.” He squeezed her tightly and helped her up, feet slipping in the pooled liquid, dragging along, threads of cooper following her into the light. 

 

Her heartbeat slowed. 

 

_ “Rey what are you doing?!” Kylo cried.  _

_ “We need to get you out of here,” she said grimly. “And we don’t have much time.”  _

_ “I’ll….I’ll get out somehow. I did it before. I’ll do it again.” Rey shook her head and reached up, pulling him down for a kiss.  _

_ “I’d rather you be out and free than waiting to escape. I can live knowing you are out there.” He cupped her face.  _

_ “I love you.” _

_ “Trust me,” she said before turning away and continuing her work.  _

 

“Pulse is fine, BP is elevated, but that’s to be expected. We need to take her in to get stitched up,” another paramedic informed Finn. Rey trembled, the cool evening air biting into her skin. Finn nodded and jumped up into the ambulance. Poe strolled up to them

“I ride with her,” Finn informed them.

“Rey, what happened in there?” Poe asked, concern thick in his dark eyes. Rey took in both his and Finn’s appearance. They had more than day’s growth on their chins and their clothes were rumpled. And behind Poe, she saw Leia emerge from the barn, face ashen. She looked up, hand on her mouth, and spied Rey. 

“Snoke tried to kill me. Kylo saved me. Like he did before,” Rey said softly. “He’s not what you think he is.”

“It doesn’t matter what you think happened, Rey. There is a ton of evidence in these First Order computers. It doesn’t look good for him,” Poe confessed. Rey met his gaze and held it, feeling the emptiness she felt welling up in her eyes. She had been so certain when she had said goodbye. Now she longed for Kylo’s warmth. Poe turned away first and trudged over to Leia. Rey sniffed, a tear coursing down her blood splattered cheek. 

Finn reached for her hand as the ambulance pulled away, Leia and Poe growing smaller through the windows, and Rey felt herself shrink, the burn from the cuts starting to ache terribly, her muscles sore, her soul weary from weeks on the run. Her prior injuries had not fully healed and she felt battered, broken, within and out. 

As the ambulance tore out of the vast property and onto the main road, no sirens but plenty of speed, a radio cackled to life. Finn tipped his head to listen as the paramedic spoke rapidly. 

“What is it?” he demanded. The paramedic looked at the driver and then back at Finn, tugging on his shirt collar. 

“The other ambulance….”

“Yes?” Finn demanded. The paramedic swallowed and looked at Rey. Finn angled his body toward the paramedic and Rey slipped the needle into her skin, depressing the precisely measured medication into her system. The machines began to scream as her blood pressure dropped and Rey tucked the needled under the bed, away from prying eyes. 

Finn never heard what happened to the missing ambulance as the paramedic leapt over him and rushed to her as her eyes slid closed and her body went limp. 

  
  


An all points bulletin was put out later that evening for the other ambulance. 

It was discovered two hours later in the long term airport parking at Syracuse Hocking Airport. The paramedics were found inside, unconscious and confused. 

But the trace for Kylo Ren had long gone cold. 

 

Rey was diagnosed with shock, a concussion, and an infection from where Snoke’s skull saw had sliced open her leg. She was kept medicated and was unconscious the rest of the night and the next morning. When she awoke, her eyes bleary, her body stiff from the odd angle on the bed, she noticed Finn asleep in the chair in the corner, his head crooked at an unnatural angle.

“Finn?” she whispered. He jerked awake and rubbed his eyes, his skin grey from exhaustion, eyes drawn. The look he gave was uncertain and confused and Rey frowned. 

“What happened?” she asked, her voice a thin croak. Finn sighed, shoulders slumping.

“Kylo Ren escaped. That guard you were concerned about was Kylo Ren.” Rey gasped, hand flying to her mouth. 

“I had no idea...I mean when Snoke...had the saw, I passed out.”

"He cut off the guard's face and placed it on his own so it looked like he was injured. Then when the ambulance pulled away, he knocked the driver and the paramedic unconscious. Some sort of medication. Last we know he dumped the vehicle at an airport. He's probably out of the country now."  Rey swallowed and looked out the grimy window at the stale grey sky. She reached up and touched her head. 

“You have a concussion. It looks like you were hit with something on the back of your head,” Finn grimly replied. “In fact, you’re fairly banged up.” He rose from the chair and stretched, bones popping as his arms lifted overhead. Rey winced and looked away, Finn letting out a wry laugh.

“You can kill a club owner but you can't stand bone popping?” Rey turned to level an even gaze at him.

“Will I be charged for that?” Finn shrugged. 

“It depends on your hearing. But I will say, the senator is speaking very highly of you.” Rey nestled against the pillows, watching Finn steadily as he stared at her, before he left the room, mumbling about coffee. 

 

_ "Here, use this," Kylo ordered, slipping a needle up her sleeve and attaching it with tape. "It will put your body into shock. That ought to help you if things get a little out of hand." Rey couldn't stop touching him, wanting to remember the way his shoulders strained against his shirt, how solid his chest felt against her palm, how soft his hair was in her fingers. He appeared to be as struck, dropping light kisses on her nose and cheek before he lay on the ground.  _

_ "I trust you," he whispered as he dropped the guard's face over his own and the police sirens filled the air.  _

 

The rest of her day meant lots of visitors. Someone from OPR to interview her, Poe to hug and to chastise her, and to praise her brilliant plans. Leia to come in and to hold her hand, wanting to know every detail. Rey emphasized Kylo’s kindness, how he had saved her from the FO, how he had fought for her. She explained her revelations at Snoke’s house. Leia nodded.

“Yes, once we realized it was Alistair’s place, it all began to make sense. And the data that is coming from the databases! They’ve been watching us for a long time.” She settled in the visitor’s chair, wrinkled hands wrapped in gauze holding her knee. She looked smaller, less regal in the harsh fluorescent light. Rey felt something like pity for her. 

“He cares about you,” she murmured and Leia patted her knee. 

“So they tell me,” she said dryly, bones creaking as she stood up to place a kiss on Rey’s cheek. She smelt powdery and warm, with a hint of orange oil.

“I’m glad he had you,” were Leia’s last words to Rey. The last they ever spoke as Leia returned to DC, to her life as a Senator, announcing she was retiring from its hallowed halls. The sarcasm was heavy that day when she made her announcement and the talking heads on the news were all in a flurry. Rey watched impassively from a hard plastic orange chair outside of an OPR office, waiting to be called in for her final review. 

 

“Rey Kenobi,” came the deep voice from the end of the table. Rey stared down at him, her face a blank slate. He was a bland man, completely indistinguishable in a crowd, with the exception of his glasses, two square gleams of light as they reflected the overheads. He was flanked by Poe Dameron and Finn Prince. 

“You have received high recommendation letters from Agents Dameron and Prince, from Senator Leia Organa, and from former director Han Solo. The evidence suggests you acted in defense and while under duress. However, the right to charge you with a crime is up to the DA’s office in Chicago.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Rey said stiffly. “I am grateful to my colleagues and to Senator Organa and Mr. Solo for their support.”

“Duly noted,” the glasses intoned. “At this time, we have decided to allow you to sit for your exams to graduate from the Academy. This does not guarantee employment within the Bureau.” 

“I understand.” Poe frowned and shot the man a dark look. He ignored it to shuffle some papers in front of him. The rest of the conversation was brief and Rey waited outside for Poe and Finn. 

“We’ll figure something out, Rey. You helped bring down the FO,” Poe said encouragingly, squeezing her arm. She went out to lunch with them and it almost felt like the days before her discovery of Ben Solo’s secret identity. They laughed and teased and Finn called her peanut more than once. 

That night, she hugged a pillow to her chest and re-read the postcard that had arrived from Mexico City.

“Finding my paradise. See you soon--XOXO.” She hid her grin and tucked the postcard under her pillow, reaching for her book to cram for her exam. 

 

She passed her exams with flying colors. She received her badge in a private ceremony and felt a mantle of pride settle around her shoulders. 

She had brought justice, she had helped bring the First Order to its knees, and she had earned her badge. Even if the FBI didn’t recognize her, she knew in her bones that she was Agent Kenobi, that she had achieved the dreams she had since a child. 

The Bureau did not give her assignment. Poe told her to take some time. They all agreed some time away would be good for her. 

She received a letter congratulating her with a ticket to Mexico City and instructions to a bus terminal, to locker A21. She located it easily and inside, found a backpack with an annotated map and several thousand pesos. She rented a car and spent the next couple hours driving west, her windows down, dust flying behind her as she chugged down mountain roads. 

The road became bumpy, the sedan kicking up as she crossed a bridge into lush dense jungle. The air became sticky but she refused to turn on the a/c, savoring the warmth on her skin, the way the sweat slid down her spine. She tried not to be nervous as the road became narrower and harder to navigate and cursed herself for not requesting a SUV. She wondered where the map was leading her, if she had somehow missed a turn. 

Until the road spilled out onto a sweet cove, golden sand and soft waves lapping at the shore. And down the road, a small beachworn house with a tidy porch and a boat resting on stilts. And him, leaning against the railing, watching as she trundled toward him. 

  
  



	24. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW reunions and ending

Rey’s car creaked to a stop and she stared through the dusty windshield at the lean form resting against the sun bleached railing. He wore a short sleeved shirt and had a hole in the knee of his jeans. His skin was tan, his hair brushed his shoulders, and he seemed more relaxed and alive than she could remember. He had a coffee mug in his hand and a bag of tools by his feet. 

She climbed out of the car, back sore from sitting, and stretched, shirt lifting to expose a strip of flesh. Kylo crooked a grin at her and she bounded up the stairs to meet him. They stood awkwardly and Rey fidgeted, hands suddenly sweaty. 0Kylo’s hungry gaze traveled over her slim figure, memorizing every hollow and curve, his thumb gliding along the rim of the mug. 

“Let me see it?” he asked. Nodding, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small leather wallet. He took it, forefinger lingering slightly longer than it should, grazing her knuckles, before he flipped the wallet open. Her badge gleamed in the warm sunlight and he grinned. 

“I know you could do it. Agent Kenobi.” His congratulations were solemn but she couldn’t help but bounce on the balls of her feet. He offered her a sheepish smile before asking:

“What assignment did you get?” 

Her excitement drooped and she froze, averting her gaze to stare out at the sea. A low growl tore from his chest and he slapped the badge on the railing.

“Fools. If I were still there--”

“But you’re not. You’re here. And you’re safe.”She laid a calming hand on his arm and he looked at it for a long moment before lifting his head to hold her gaze. He surged forward then, badge thumping to the floor, to cup her face in both of his hands, mouth covering hers in a scalding kiss. She shoved her hips against him, fingers eager to tangle in his hair, hot flesh seeking contact. 

With a little hop, she linked her legs around him, his hand sliding to support her ass. He bumped her into the doorframe, a bright laugh escaping her as he stooped to get through the door. Her dimples winked in her cheeks and Kylo groaned.

“I’ve missed you,” he confessed as he staggered into the bedroom and dropped her on the bed. It protested loudly, especially when he followed, lips searching for each other, Kylo’s fingers fumbling with her jeans, callouses rough on her skin. Her flesh thrummed whenever, where ever it met his, a steady throb that built in intensity as he stripped her shirt off and she shoved his jeans down. 

She ran her thumb along the scar on his face. It had faded, a long thin line from that day at Snoke’s. She had surmised it was from torture but didn’t dare ask. Instead, she kissed it, a soft fluttering of lips as she traced the scar to where it disappeared into his shirt. 

Kylo leaned back, bottom lip trembling, and tore off his shirt. She reached for her jeans, hips wiggling to pull them down, his fingers reaching for the bra clasp. She took a moment to study him, naked, the sunlight streaming in through curtainless windows, waves crashing on the shore the only soundtrack to rival her own ragged breathing. 

Rey reared up, licking a trail down his chest, pausing to swirl her tongue around his nipples. He grasped her to him, breath unsteady, as she worked her way down his chest, pausing to pay special attention to the myriad of scars dotting his torso. He pushed her down, limbs tangling together, as he devoted his attention to the hollow in her collarbone, her hips rising to grind against him. 

“Patience,” he rumbled and she laughed, a low throated purr that sent Kylo up to pepper her neck with kisses. 

“I’m here for days. There’ll be time for patience,” she promised. He grunted and moved her leg aside, fingers sweeping along her core, groaning as he found her wet and waiting. 

“Don’t think too much about it,” she said, brushing aside a lock of hair that fell in his face. She kissed them, a gentle kiss, coaxing his mouth open, sweeping her tongue along his, a faint taste of coffee and whiskey and warmth. Rey gasped as his cock nudged her; she had forgotten how he big he was, sure she had imagined it those late nights in her room while she studied for the exams, while she watched the news re-write their escapades for higher ratings. 

Her hips rose to meet him and he sank into her, nose burying into the crook of her neck. He let out a guttural cry as he jerked, an awkward thrust that had her arching as he moved deeper into her. She wrapped her legs around him, hips moving to counter him, surprised that the little cries and yelps were coming from her, even as the heat built within, a slow building fire that wound its way up her spine. 

She came with a muffled cry, mouth pressed to his shoulder, and Kylo thrust twice more into her before slumping to the side, chest heaving. He cupped her breasts, thumb swirling her nipple,and she sighed happily. He leaned forward to take a nipple in her mouth and she batted at him as he delicately sucked one while fingers plucked the other. 

In the end, his fingers played along her clit, sliding through her soaked folds, mouth devoted to her breasts, and she arched in the bed, grasping his hair, his name a loud cry in the room. They fell asleep entwined around one another, limbs locked together, as if they were afraid to let one another go. 

  
  


Evening found them sitting on the porch. Kylo had slipped on a pair of shorts while he had draped Rey in a short silk robe. She perched on his lap, watching the sun sink beneath the waves, seagulls crying overhead as they swooped down to the sea to pluck a fish from the sea. 

“It’s peaceful here,” she remarked. He nodded and pulled down her robe to kiss her freckled shoulder. She smelled like him, like sex and cedar and peppermint, and he crushed her to him, hand lazily untying her robe to bare her breasts to the world. She swatted at his hand. 

“There’s no one around for miles,” he commented as he squeezed and massaged her breasts, nudging her legs apart. 

“What do you do here?”

“Read. Work on my boat. Plot revenge on Cerise for trying to kill my mother.”

Rey’s breath hitched as Kylo teased her breasts. “She’s in the federal pen.”

“For now,” he agreed, finger leisurely skimming her taut stomach to part her folds. She moaned again, head tipping back, and he buried his face in her soft waves, fingers dancing along her delicate skin. Her skin was flushed, a rosy tint that he chased with his lips as he plunged his fingers inside of her, and she bore down on them, his thumb circling and rasping across her clit. The chair groaned in protest, the silk road brushed against his chest, and he was painfully aware of how hard he was as she rocked herself down on him, abandoning any pretense of shame. 

 

They made love countless number of times in the following weeks. She gained a deep tan from sunning herself on the sand or from working beside him on his boat. He sanded and scraped the hull while foregoing a shirt much to her delight and she tinkered with the boat motor until it purred nicely. They would frolic in the ocean and he drove her into the small village to pick up supplies. They took no notice of him except to comment on his poor beer taste and she savored the street tacos, licking grease from her fingers.

She caught up on her reading in psychology journals. She read terrible crime novels that she had never bothered to look at before, reading passages aloud to Kylo as he rubbed her feet. They watched some of his favorite movies together and went fishing or hiking in the jungle. It was peaceful and serene, music thumping as they kicked dinner together, Kylo mocking her awful knife skills while chopping onions. 

He knocked off the dishes and spread her on the dining room table one evening to devour every inch of her. He fucked her furiously up against the railing, hips snapping roughly together, Rey feverishly fingering herself while he took her from behind. They made love on the beach, surf rolling over them, and then laughed as they picked sand out of crevices.  She became used to his presence in the shower, arguing over the angle of the shower head, her body constantly sporting love bites along her breasts and collarbones. He showed her a series of rock pools nearby and they splashed and played in them, feasting on each other’s lips, fingers trailing up spines, hands constantly traveling over shoulders and back and thighs. 

They enjoyed his terrible beer and delicious meals. She was relaxed and at ease and happy. He seemed the same as they chatted about places they could go, picking food off each other’s plates, Kylo sucking papaya from her fingers. 

They sat on his porch steps one evening, the sky strewn with stars, the ocean a thunderous roar. In the distance, clouds gathered on the horizon, an occasional violent roll and glimmer of lightning informed them that they would be hiding in the house tomorrow. He was rubbing her shoulders and she nursed the beer, light from the house throwing her face into shadows. 

“How long will you stay here?” she asked quietly. 

“For a while,” he answered. “Until the heat dies down. Then I’ll see.”

“Where else would you go?” He certainly couldn’t return to the States, not without danger. 

Kylo shrugged easily, a loose roll of his shoulders. He concentrated on a knot in her back and 

she groaned, draping herself over her knees while he massaged. 

“Cuba. The Maldives. Some place without extradition.” 

“I always wanted to go to Cuba,” Rey said longingly. Kylo pulled her up on his lap and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her. 

“Then come with me.” She smiled sadly and twined a lock of his hair around her finger.

“And do what?” He shrugged.

“I don’t know. Whatever you want. Phasma transferred a ton of money into my accounts before she fled. I had funds hidden away too. Money is no object, Rey. You want to study art? Cooking? You want to be a boat mechanic?  You want me to be a stay at home dad, homeschooling rugrats, while you work all day? Fine with me.”

“Greet me with a martini when I come home and have dinner on the table?” she teased and Kylo chuckled, grasping her hand and kissing the palm.

“Whatever you want. I have my peace, Rey. I just want you to have yours. What does it take?” Rey contemplated his question, resting her head on his broad shoulder, his thumb lazily drawing circles on her hip, and thought perhaps this was her peace. Her becoming into whoever she was meant to be. The titles meant nothing, the FBI badge growing dull on the dresser, as she knew her happiness was here, together, making their own path forward. 

And as Rey curled beside him in the bed that night as rain drummed into the roof, she threaded her fingers through his and know that this home was what she had wanted all along. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for coming along with me on this very long ride. I hope you enjoyed the story! 
> 
> I can be found at [HausCrashBurn](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/HausCrashBurn).   
> Many thanks to Sansacat who beta'd this thing and listened to all my natterings and kept me on the straight and narrow. You are the best! \


End file.
